The World: Latest Stories

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and CEO of Telegram, has been arrested in France, while Telegram itself faces allegations that it serves at a platform for money laundering and drug trafficking. Host Marco Werman speaks with Natalia Krapiva, a senior lawyer with Access Now, to discuss the implications of the case for free speech.

Learning English is integral to finding work and housing, helping children with school, navigating the health care system, and routine tasks like getting groceries and using public transportation. But across Massachusetts, immigrants are waiting to get into ESOL classes. Or, English for Speakers of Other Languages. Many say that wait has hampered their ability to move forward with their lives. Sarah Betancourt of GBH reports from Boston.

It is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. Arbaeen remembers the death of Imam Hussein back in the 7th century. He was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. There are more than 21 million people estimated to be in Iraq right now, walking toward the city of Karbala. The World's Sara Hassan reported on the event from Iraq during last year's Arbaeen.

In what's being called Russia's biggest attack on Ukraine in weeks, 15 different regions were hit with a barrage of missiles and drones. As people gather for shelter in metro stations, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy vowed to restore energy to areas suffering outages, and called on Ukraine's Western allies for support.

A recent analysis of UN Data by Save the Children shows that on average, five children are killed a week on the island, indicating that despite the arrival of Kenyan law enforcement to help restore order, deadly violence continues amid political upheaval.

In southern Brazil, one small town, Prudentopolis, was founded by immigrants from Ukraine in the late 1800s. They've clung to their culture, and in recent years, they've also welcomed Ukrainians displaced by war. Michael Fox has the story, from Prudentopolis.

A year ago today, the head of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group died in a plane crash. This was just a couple of months after Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, led his forces in a mutiny against Russian military leaders. Data published this week by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) found that the Wagner Group's activity in Africa has doubled since his death. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler hears more about the group's rebranding work from ACLED's Ladd Serwat.

Athletes dedicate years, and possibly their whole lives, to make an Olympic team. That often leads to a period called the "post-Olympic blues," no matter how well they performed at the Games. The World's Bianca Hillier hears how some athletes manage those feelings.

Tens of thousands of court workers across Mexico are on an indefinite strike in response to a controversial judicial reform law that is advancing through Congress. Critics say if it gets approved, it would remove the independence of the judiciary. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.

Cambodia lost more than a third of its primary forests to private development in the last two decades. But a movement of young activists has challenged the government to improve its record on the environment. Now, the government is cracking down and arresting activists. Leila Goldstein has the story from Cambodia.

Grocery stores in Iceland may have been among the beneficiaries - or victims - of a sudden demand for fresh cucumbers. Host Carolyn Beeler tells how salad-making videos by Canadian TikTok influencer Logan Moffitt have inspired people to try his cucumber recipes, on camera, to share with the world.

Many parts of the world are debating what people should be allowed to say in online forums. And whether those forums, like the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, are responsible for policing hate speech and misinformation. Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X, is not happy with the way this discussion is going in Brazil, so he's pulled his operations out of South America's largest country. Michael Fox reports from southern Brazil.

Mohammad Shabani was an Iranian poet and dissident living in exile in Turkey when he fell to his death from his apartment balcony in 2021. Reporter Fariba Nawa got a copy of a suicide note the police recovered from Shabani's apartment. Nawa get's the note analyzed by a handwriting expert. This is the final excerpt from the podcast "Lethal Dissent."

Several countries are hosting studies of an mRNA vaccine treatment for lung cancer, which kills 1.8 million people every year. Scientists hope that the principles used to develop a COVID-19 vaccine could also be applied to various cancers. Tony de Fougerolles explains the concept and the promise offered by the treatment that's being studied.

KOKOKO!'s new album is called BUTU, which means "the night", in the Lingala language. An appropriate title, as the band captures the chaotic, partying buzz in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital city. But listen closely and the band isn't just capturing the joyous atmosphere. In a country where violence and government crackdowns keep citizens on edge, KOKOKO!'s frenetic, punk-like energy helps mask their political activism. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler tells us more.

In January 2023, the US rolled out an app for migrants in Mexico to book an appointment for an asylum hearing before they got to the border. It's called CBP One and, until now, migrants could only access it once they got to central or northern Mexico. But the US has just expanded that access so that migrants can book an appointment as soon as they make it to Mexico. Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.

Sphen and Magic became famous six years ago when the two male penguins took up together at the Sydney Aquarium. The couple built a nest and would go on to nurture two penguin babies. The story of Sphen and Magic's relationship coincided with the legalization of gay marriage in Australia, and the pair were soon adopted as gay icons, inspiring a float at Sydney's Pride parade. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have their story.

For the first time, scientists have reported that they were able to "hear" low-frequency gravitational waves caused by the motion of massive black holes across the universe. It's big news in the world of science and Host Marco Werman gets a primer in terms that non-scientists can understand. He speaks with Jason Hessels, chief astronomer at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) in Amsterdam.This interview first aired in June 2023.

A labor dispute between two of Canada's largest railroad operators and unionized workers has mushroomed into a full lockout of union workers. Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City control the vast majority of Canada's railroad networks. Scott Steiner, the former chair of the Canadian Transportation Authority, explains what this means for supply chains and goods in both Canada and the United States.

Munich is Germany's beer town, a self-styled city of brewers and a mecca for the millions who descend yearly on the Oktoberfest to raise stein after stein of the city's famous lager. Beer is served there at breakfast, lunch and dinner, or as a meal in itself. But increasingly, as reporter Valerie Hamilton tells us, when Munich cracks open a cold one, it's non-alcoholic.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek tells Host Carolyn Beeler about his Out of Eden Walk experience in Myanmar, where he witnessed the February 1, 2021 coup that triggered the civil war that's still being fought there.

Storyteller Shweta Bhatt was just 13 when her mom took her to have her upper lip hair threaded. It's an experience many young Indian girls and others with dark hair have to deal with. Bhatt shared her experience to GBH's Stories From The Stage on World TV.

A Turkish nonprofit, Support to Life, visits tented encampments where Syrian refugee families follow the harvest. Often, children start working in the fields at the age of 11 or 12. Getting children and pre-teens back to school is a daunting task, but it starts out simple: giving the kids time to play. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports from southern Turkey.

A new art exhibit in Denver is showcasing the work of a Japanese-American prisoner incarcerated at a camp in southeastern Colorado during World War II, called "Amache." As Emma VandenEinde from member station KUNC reports, the paintings offer more than a history lesson - they underscore a complex human experience.

The relationship between the US and China is fraught with difficult and even dangerous problems. But there are also deep cultural ties that represent possibilities for peace. That's the perspective of world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In the final installment of our summer series, "Face Off: The US versus China," we hear how the Chinese-American musician convinces himself to be optimistic in the face of cruelty. "Face Off" is a podcast produced by veteran journalist Jane Perlez.

With roots in India and an upbringing in Singapore, singer Dhruv found fame on TikTok, hitting the charts in East Asia. He moved to the US to study at Yale University, but then realized music was really what he wanted to pursue. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler spin "Speed of Light," a single from Dhruv's debut album.

Israel wants control over two strategic corridors in Gaza: the Philadelphi and Netzarim. But Hamas says it will only agree to a deal if all Israeli troops leave the Gaza Strip. This is what seems to be the latest sticking point in the ceasefire negotiations. The World's Shirin Jaafari explains.

Businesses along the Jersey Shore have long depended on overseas students to serve the surge of customers during the busy summer tourist season. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, when the government suspended visa approvals. WHYY News's Kenneth Burns reports that the number of seasonal workers is finally returning to pre pandemic levels.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called Kyiv's overnight assault on Moscow one of the largest ever" drone attacks on the Russian capital. Russia said its forces shot down 45 Ukrainian drones in total overnight, including 11 targeting Moscow. At the same time, Kyiv is pressing ahead with its major incursion into Russia's Kursk region. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with the Carnegie Endowment's Michael Kofman about what Ukraine has achieved in recent weeks.

A Greek-flagged oil tanker traveling through the Red Sea came under repeated attack today in an assault suspected to have been carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels. There were few details about the attack, and the Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility, but it appeared to be the latest in the group's months-long campaign targeting commercial and military ships in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Host Marco Werman speaks with Abdulghani Al-Iryani, senior researcher at the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies in Yemen, about the ongoing maritime attack campaign and how it is perceived inside Yemen.

Unlike many countries of its size and wealth, Canada doesn't have a federal disaster response agency. The provinces, rather, are largely in charge of leading response efforts to floods and wildfires. Some people say that needs to change. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Londeners might have done a double take this week. A German navy warship chugged up the River Thames, blasting the "Darth Vader Theme" from its loudspeakers. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman wonder whether there was a hidden meaning.

More than 40% of Venezuelans are considering leaving their country, according to a recent poll by a consulting firm in Caracas. That's after authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro proclaimed himself a winner, despite overwhelming evidence that he stole the election. The World's Tibisay Zea reports on the likelihood of another mass migration of Venezuelans, and the impact it could have on countries in the Western Hemisphere, including the US.

Talks about a possible ceasefire in Gaza continued today, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with negotiators. Hamas called the latest ceasefire proposal a reversal" on what it agreed to previously and accused the the US of pushing "new conditions" set by Israel. There was no immediate US response.

US intelligence officials have confirmed findings made by Google cybersecurity researchers that Iran has been trying to hack the Trump and Harris presidential campaigns, and even succeeded. The Trump campaign's computer system was breached. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Omer Benjakob, a reporter for Ha'aretz on the cyber beat.

Verka Serduchka is one of the biggest celebrities in Ukraine from the early '90s. That's the stage name for Andriy Danylko, a Ukrainian comedian, actor and singer. His drag persona, Verka Serduchka, is a middle-aged woman from a rural family, working as a railroad sleeping car attendant. The World's Daniel Ofman reports that since Russia's full-scale invasion, Serduchka has become a symbol of Ukrainian pride.

Spaghetti with white sauce. Rice with milk. Lemon slushie. Since Oct. 7, Hamada Shaquora - a food blogger in Gaza - has been making authentic Palestinian recipes using ingredients from the food aid packages handed out at refugee camps, and food he can scrounge up. The videos, which include a sense of humor amidst the tragedies unfolding in Gaza, have made the 32-year-old a TikTok star with more than 100,000 followers. Rebecca Rosman reports.

Slovakia's hard-right culture minister, Martina imkoviova, fired the director of the country's most influential theater last week. A day later, she fired the director of the Slovak National Gallery. imkoviova cited some reasons, but the artistic community thinks the real reason is a concerted crackdown on artistic expression. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Li Rui, once a top Chinese official and a personal secretary to Mao Zedong, kept detailed diaries, critiquing seven decades of communist rule in China. Li donated the diaries to Stanford University. Now, Li's widow is suing Stanford University, claiming that the documents belong to her. Columbia University's Andrew Nathan speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about what's at stake in the trial.

An attack by polar bears on a worker at a remote defense installation in northern Canada this month highlights the growing problem of vanishing ice in the region, and its impact on polar bears who hunt seals from atop ice floes. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Andrew Derocher, professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, about the impact of a warming Earth on polar bears' habitats and their interactions with humans.

When Israelis and Palestinians get information about the war in Gaza, there are two distinct stories being told on the nightly news. In the West Bank, families watch Al Jazeera Arabic playing a constant loop of devastating real time footage of the destruction taking place in Gaza. In Israel, such footage on the nightly TV news has taken a more patriotic tone, as Reporter Rebecca Rosman found out.

Major League Soccer limits each team in the league to what it calls homegrown territories," which are the specific geographic areas from which they can develop youth players. San Diego FC is the only team in the league with an assigned region that includes Mexico - specifically, an area within 62 miles in driving distance from the club's training facility in El Cajon. From KPBS in San Diego, Gustavo Solis reports.

Lithium is critical to the manufacturing of batteries that power electric vehicles. As the West tries to turn away from lithium supplied by China, European leaders are focused on local lithium deposits. One is in Serbia, but a plan by Rio Tinto to mine it, has run up against local anger. Tom Moerenhout is a research scholar at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs where he follows the extraction of lithium for the global energy transition.

A decade-long collaboration by the US and Mexico to restore the wetlands of the Colorado River Delta has borne fruit - or rather birds. Looking at areas where the restoration work took place, a recent study found that more than half of the populations of bird species have stabilized or increased. To learn more, The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta. He is the director of the Coastal Solutions Fellows Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and one of the authors of the 2024 study.

Cuban singer Dayme Arocena has one of the most stunning voices in music today. But when host of the "Movement" podcast Meklit Hadero heard Dayme's latest album, "Alkemi," she could tell something dramatic had changed. Her voice had changed and Dayme had changed too. The album follows a double migration - first from Cuba to Canada, then from Canada to Puerto Rico.

Ukrainian troops are pushing deeper inside Russia's Kursk region, continuing a surprise offensive" that began on Aug. 6. Washington Post reporter Siobhan O'Grady was among a handful of journalists allowed into the Ukrainian-held territory this weekend. O'Grady tells The World's Host Marco Werman that Russian civilians feel abandoned by the Kremlin, and are increasingly worried about their fate.

The extremist group ISIS was defeated in Syria and Iraq about five years ago. But those who follow the group and its activities closely say it is once again gaining momentum, reports The World's Shirin Jaafari.

Switzerland is holding a contest to clean up a longstanding problem: military munitions that have been dumped into its lakes. The Federal Office for Armaments is offering a $58,000 prize to the winning idea of how to safely retrieve the munitions from the lakes. Host Marco Werman has more.

In Farsi, haarf means to "talk." And that's just what Iranian-Israeli singer Liraz Charhi wants all sides to do in the Middle East, where tensions remain high. Liraz sings about the danger of false narratives swirling around social media, and rhetoric that creates divisions. The World's Host Marco Werman tells us more.

After 20 years of negotiations, the international community failed to reach a peace deal for Afghanistan. And so, when the US withdrew its troops in 2021, the country was left to the Taliban. The most contentious issue between the two sides was the freedom of Afghan women - to access education and work. In this excerpt of the podcast "The Negotiators," from Foreign Policy and Doha Debates, Ashley Jackson, co-director of the Center on Armed Groups looks at how aid workers and activists continued to negotiate with the Taliban.