The World: Latest Stories

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman run us through some headlines in the news that might have flown under the radar.

Soaring demand for the high-bandwidth memory chips powering AI systems is expected to generate huge profits. Now, workers at Samsung Electronics have struck a deal to share some of that wealth. Under a new labor agreement, some 78,000 semiconductor employees will receive more than 10% of company profit. Rutgers University's Joseph Blasi tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that tech firms worldwide will be watching the deal closely.

Protests have gripped Bolivia's capital for weeks, triggered by what voters are seeing as the president's bait and switch. After campaigning as a centrist candidate with a base of working class and Indigenous support, Rodrigo Paz filled his cabinet with conservative business leaders, and enacted policies viewed as more in line with a right-leaning agenda. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Kathryn Ledebur, director of the Andean Information Network in Cochabamba, Bolivia, about what led to this moment.

After a months-long blackout, Iran has begun restoring internet access in the country. Iranians are appearing back online, posting about how the cut-off impacted their lives. The internet monitoring group NetBlocks described the blackout as the longest in modern history. The World's Shirin Jaafari speaks with Host Marco Werman about what people there are saying.

It's being described as Ireland's George Floyd moment." Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old man originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, died in Dublin earlier this month after being restrained by several security guards. A video of the incident has since gone viral and is drawing comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. Migrant and Black community groups in Ireland are now calling for an independent investigation into Sakila's death. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry has more.

In Germany today, a court found guilty a suspected member of one of the country's most notorious militant groups, the Red Army Faction. The 67-year-old Daniela Klette could now face 13 years in prison for a series of robberies she was involved in while on the run. To understand who Klette is and the far-left group she was a part of, Host Marco Werman speaks with Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at The Counter Extremism Project, who's in Berlin.

Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical Monday, outlining his priorities in leading the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. While the focus of "Magnificent Humanity" was heavily on his concerns about AI, the pontiff also apologized for one of the Church's historic wrongs: supporting the slave trade. To learn more, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Father Chris Kellerman, a Jesuit priest and the author of All Oppression Shall Cease: A History of Slavery, Abolitionism, and the Catholic Church."

FIFA, the organizer of the soccer World Cup, has a clear policy against political flags or signs during matches. It includes in that ban the Lion and Sun flag that once flew officially in Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution. But a group linked to the Iranian diaspora in the US says it will sue to reverse that stand. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Crate diggers are a passionate bunch, and with websites like Discogs and eBay, they've gotten 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.This story originally aired on Aug. 15, 2025.

The American Farm Bureau Federation this year called the shortage of a skilled, reliable workforce the single greatest threat to agriculture." As the weather warms on the 7,000 mostly small farms in Massachusetts, GBH News Reporter Liz Neisloss found that strain is easy to see.

Immigration officials in the Dominican Republic are staking out hospitals. When people who are pregnant arrive, they are arrested and deported - sometimes soon after they've given birth, along with their newborns. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Tirana Hassan, the CEO of the US branch of Doctors Without Borders.

The Strait of Hormuz has now been closed for 88 days. And the impact of that closure, along with the US-Israel war with Iran that triggered it, is intensifying rifts among Gulf countries. Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, joins The World's Host Marco Werman to discuss what's behind the growing divisions.

Colombia has faced a dramatic increase in violence in the weeks before its presidential election this weekend. Crime is a central voter concern, and that could be bad news for Ivan Cepeda, the candidate for the nation's ruling party. But there's still has a good chance that Cepeda can pull it off, thanks to progress the party has made in other areas, such as improving economic conditions for blue collar workers. Manuel Rueda reports from Bogota.

Each year, Gloucestershire holds its annual downhill race where contestants chase a wheel of cheese. It's a madcap, slightly terrifying thing to watch but always great fun. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain what it's all about.

This past winter, around 20 monks from a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas walked from their home in Fort Worth to Washington, DC. The 2,000-mile walk was to promote peace, and ask for federal recognition of the Buddha's day of birth. WUNC reporter Aaron Sanchez-Guerra checked in on the marchers' progress while they were in North Carolina.This story originally aired on Feb. 4, 2026.

On a long trip away from home, some of the most memorable moments come from the hospitality of strangers. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has come to rely on hospitality every day on his Out of Eden Walk, traversing the path of human migration. Host Marco Werman speaks to Salopek about hospitality, starting in Japan with a recent stay in a traditional roadside inn.This story originally aired on June 20, 2025.

Back in 2022, the war in Ukraine, school shootings and racial killings helped inspire Designing Peace," a fresh exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York. The museum selected projects from 25 countries to highlight how design can address the root causes of conflict. Reporter Sarah Birnbaum went to take a look.This story originally aired on Aug. 4, 2022.

In this installment of Movement, a series about migration and music, Meklit Hadero talks with Gino Yevdjevich, lead singer of the gypsy punk band Kultur Shock. They explore the need to create art, especially when the world is at its darkest. Yevdjevich tells the story of how the siege of his native Sarajevo during the Bosnian war turned him from a pop musician to a punk rocker in Seattle.This story originally aired on Aug. 9, 2023.

One in three French university students skips a daily meal regularly, as they struggle with rising housing costs and inflation. Meahwhile, 600,000 live below the poverty line. But volunteers are coming to help, with groceries and more. The World's Gerry Hadden filed this report from Montpelier, France, last fall.This story originally aired on Oct. 24, 2025.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai is the executive producer of "Stranger at the Gate," a short documentary that tells the story of a former US Marine who planned to bomb an Indiana mosque. Yousafzai spoke with The World's Host Marco Werman in 2023, when the documentary was nominated for an Oscar, about how the film forced her to grapple with issues in her past.This story originally aired on Feb. 15, 2023.

Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca and French cellist Vincent Segal had known about each other for years, traveling in similar music circles and concert halls. But they never really had the chance to forge their own connection. Fonseca made the first move, suggesting they start playing music together. The result is both a friendship and an album: "Nuit Parisienne a la Havane." Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.This story originally aired on Feb. 18, 2026.

In April 2025, one US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station. Despite heightened geopolitical tensions, cooperation showed it was alive and well in the cosmos. Former International Space Station commander Chris Hadfield told Host Marco Werman how those working there manage to get along even when the nations they represent are in conflict.This story originally aired on April 8, 2025.

This year marks the centennial celebration of Route 66. Arizona's 385-mile stretch of "America's Main Street, has odd origins. Long before all the neon, diners, gas stations and motels dotted the humming highway, the US Army first charted a course along the modern-day path of Route 66, surveying Arizona's high desert terrain for a wagon trail - with unlikely companions. Camels. From KJZZ, Gabriel Pietrorazio reports.

The famous annual Chelsea Flower Show kicked off this week. And for the first time, there's an exhibit devoted to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. There are racy flower displays - and sex toys. Host Marco Werman explains.

Meteorologists expect not only that an El Nino warming pattern will emerge this year, but also that it will be one of the strongest on record. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Kim Cobb, director of Brown University's Institute of Environment and Society, about what that means for people around the world.

Two current artists have taken Cumbia, one of the oldest and most popular rhythms in Latin America, and have given it a modern twist. Instead of playing traditional instruments like the accordion and maracas, they've turned to synthesizers. These sounds can be heard on the new album "Ruido Tovar." It's by Meridian Brothers and Mexican Institute of Sound. Camilo Lara is the brainchild behind M.I.S and speaks to host Marco Werman.

During a legislative session in Jamaica last week, a lawmaker used Jamaican Patois - also known as Jamaican - and caused a stir. Only English is permitted to be spoken in parliament, despite Patois being the native language spoken by most in the country. The World's Marco Werman heard from Joseph Farquharson, a senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. He joins us from the capital, Kingston.

In mountain communities dependent on glaciers for water, the ongoing disappearance of glaciers due to shorter, warmer winters is an urgent problem. But what if you could make new glaciers every winter, to melt into water every spring? Some villages in Central Asia are doing just that. Researchers are optimistic, but the approach does have limits. Reporter Levi Bridges takes us to Kyrgyzstan for this installment of the Big Fix, profiling ambitious efforts to tackle the climate crisis across the globe.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain's Prime Minister from 2004 to 2011, has been charged with influence peddling in the controversial rescue of an airline partly owned by government officials in Venezuela. Investigators say Zapatero received millions of dollars for securing the $62 million bailout for Plus Ultra Airlines. The World's Gerry Hadden reports on the implications of the case.

Hiring professional mourners for a funeral is a common practice in parts of Kenya. Those left behind take great comfort in the professional mourners who bolster attendance at funerals, which are already loud and busy community social affairs in western Kenya. Some have said that the mourners help fill the emptiness and provide comfort. The World's Marco Werman has more.

Taiwan is something of a "David" in its struggle to stay independent from "Goliath" that is mainland China. Support from the US has helped the island maintain that independence - though its commitments are "strategically ambiguous." Yesterday, the US president said he would be open to talking to Taiwan's president - which would be a major departure from the norms of that ambiguity. To learn more about the peculiarities of US-Taiwan relations, Host Marco Werman speaks to Isaac Stone Fish, a visiting fellow with the Atlantic Council and former Beijing correspondent.

The Ebola outbreak centered in the eastern regions of Democratic Republic of Congo is expanding at an alarming rate. The new, rare Ebola variant has spread from DRC's Ituri Province into North Kivu and the capital of neighboring Uganda. The result is more than 600 suspected cases and at least 139 suspected deaths. Armand Sprecher, an epidemiologist with Doctors Without Borders discusses the implications with The World's Host Marco Werman.

With fighting in Iran and Lebanon taking over public consciousness, the crisis in Gaza has fallen somewhat out of focus for much of the world. At a moment of political upheaval in Israel, journalist Noga Tarnopolsky speaks with Host Carolyn Beeler about how Gaza factors into the current political landscape there, and how that relates to the escalating conflict on the border with Lebanon.

The US-Israeli war with Iran has disrupted much of the world's economy, and impacted the region and beyond. Art Dubai, a 20-year-old festival set in a Middle Eastern economic and cultural hub, was almost derailed after missile and drone strikes hit the city. But in an act of resilience, organizers scrambled to put on the show. Reporter Shirin Jaafari spoke to members of the art world about why it mattered for the show to go on.

Timmy - the famous stranded whale, stuck in the Baltic Sea and controversially rescued - has died. The carcass is stuck in the shallows off Denmark, and the Danish government is planning to remove it. But what actually happens to a whale when it dies? If it's in the deep, it's called a "whale fall," and an entirely new ecosystem springs up around it. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with scientist Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser to learn more.

It was a stunning victory. The Montreal Victoire shut out the Ottawa Charge 4-0 to secure the Professional Women's Hockey League's top prize, the Walter Cup. That's the first time in the league's three-year history that a Canadian team has taken home the trophy. Host Marco Werman has the highlights.

Forget about the sky-high cost of tickets to the actual matches. A lot of soccer lovers have balked at the price of flights, hotels, food, transportation and the obligatory jersey. Just traveling to the Americas adds up to several thousand dollars. For some, it's a sign that soccer's international governing body, FIFA, has lost touch with the global fanbase. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

The US government has indicted former Cuban leader Raul Castro for his alleged role in shooting down two civilian planes 30 years ago. The mid-air attack by Cuba killed four Cuban Americans. Peter Kornbluh helped uncover classified documents revealing what happened just before that attack. He joined Host Marco Werman to discuss the significance of today's decision.

Patrice Lumumba, the first elected leader of independent Congo (today Democratic Republic of Congo) was assassinated in 1961. His family has spent years trying to bring the perpetrators of his killing to justice. In March, a judge in Belgium ruled that the sole surviving diplomat implicated in his murder had to stand trial. Ninety-three-year-old Etienne Davignon was scheduled to appear in court later this year, but he too has now died. Host Marco Werman spoke with Lumumba's only daughter, Juliana Lumumba, about the closure she had hoped for and her memories of her father.

For many in the Indian diaspora, visiting the motherland is usually an annual pilgrimage for the whole family. So, when New York resident Sonya Vai got the chance to travel to her parent's home country as an adult - alone - she jumped on it. But the experience, as Vai tells GBH's Stories From The Stage, was not what she expected.

As the Trump administration expands sanctions on Cuba to pressure regime change, one target is GAESA, the military-run business empire behind hotels, dollar stores, banks and other key sources of hard currency. US officials say it funnels wealth to regime insiders. But Cuban economists say GAESA is only part of the equation, as The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

Afghans are among the largest group of people seeking asylum in Europe. Now, the European Commission says it plans to hold talks with the Taliban in Brussels about deporting some Afghans back home. The EU does not officially recognize the Taliban leadership after its sudden return to power amid the NATO withdrawal in early 2021. Human rights groups warn the meeting could legitimize the Taliban regime and put deported Afghans at risk. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The musical style known as cumbia had at its root a single powerful ambassador: Toto la Momposina. The Colombian artist has died at the age of 85. As we hear from Co-hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler, she was more than a singer. She was a global champion of Andean culture.

New Zealand's government wants to change its landmark climate law. The proposal would prohibit liability for damages caused by climate change, such as from floods, fires or sea level rise. To understand more, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Maria Antonia Tigre, director of global climate litigation at Columbia University's Sabin Center.

Nine-year-old Marc Barcelo already has a bunch of medals hanging in his bedroom. There's a gold one from an international competition last year. That helped propel the boy into the top 10 in the world, as ranked by the International Chess Federation. But he only discovered chess a couple of years ago - when his parents needed something for him to do over the summer. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Tarragona, Spain on the prodigy.

Researchers from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, just unearthed what is believed to be the first poem written in the English language and hence the first piece of English literature. Caedmon's Hymn, was tucked away among pages of English history written in a Latin manuscript. It was believed to be written over 1,200 years ago by a farm laborer at a North Yorkshire abbey. And it was only discovered, when over a thousand years later, librarians in Rome digitized the book and shared the images with scholars in Ireland. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the story.

A parade of world leaders has been touching down in Beijing for meetings with Xi Jinping. Last week, the leaders of the US and Tajikistan visited, and today, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived for a two-day trip. Simon Rabinovitch, The Economist's Beijing bureau chief, tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that to ordinary Chinese citizens, it increasingly looks like Beijing is at the center of the geopolitical universe.

Much of Beirut's renowned waterfront promenade is covered in tents, where people displaced from their homes in southern Lebanon by Israeli airstrikes are living out the war. They're getting donated food and clothing as winter wanes. Reporters Scott Carrier and Jenny Ament spent a day and night with a family now camping out along Beirut's waterfront.

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan's latest movie, "The Odyssey," is due to hit theaters in July. But Nolan's interpretation of the Greek classic has already been stirring up controversy for various reasons. Last year, he took flak for filming some scenes in Western Sahara, a disputed territory between Morocco and Algeria. The World's Host Marco Werman got insight into the issue late last year with Maria Carrion, the executive director of FiSahara, an annual film festival that spotlights the work of the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara. She's based in Madrid.

Gymnasts from Russia and Belarus will now return to full participation in international competitions, according to the sport's global governing body. Athletes from the two countries had previously been banned in 2022 due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more details.