The World: Latest Stories

Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash over the weekend, was seen as a strong candidate to replace the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. With Raisi out of the picture, who will replace the 85-year-old leader and why is it important?

The Biden Administration has faced an uphill battle in its efforts to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer some detainees to other nations, including Oman. An effort to airlift Yemeni prisoners to the Sultanate in October was suspended after war broke out in Gaza. Host Carolyn Beeler learns more from Retired Air Force Col. Morris Davis, former chief prosecutor at Guantanamo.

Severe tornadoes have been rolling through several Midwestern states in recent days, causing extensive damage and a number of fatalities. The United States experiences the most and the deadliest tornadoes in the world, but they do happen on every continent except Antartica. Host Carolyn Beeler gets a global look at tornadoes with Jana Houser, an atmospheric scientist at Ohio State University who specializes in tornadoes.

Today, Kenyan President William Ruto will be at the White House for a historic state dinner celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations with the United States. It's the first state visit of an African head of state since 2008. This comes as Kenyan police are expected to arrive in Haiti to lead a controversial multinational UN force backed by Washington. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi.

China is holding military drills around the island of Taiwan this week, just following the inauguration of a new president who advocates for stronger defense against China. Meanwhile, the political parties in Taiwan are sharply divided, leading to legislative gridlock. From Taipei, Ashish Valentine reports that tens of thousands of people have hit the streets in protest.

Omar Geles, the Latin Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and accordionist from Colombia, has died at the age of 57. Host Carolyn Beeler offers a musical remembrance of the popular artist whose loss is being mourned today across Latin America.

A new vaccine study from Duke University suggests scientists are making advances towards a vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infection disease expert at Brigham & Women's Hospital, about how this new potential vaccine works and what it means for the long battle to cure HIV/AIDS.

Marathons around the world are filling up fast, and many are setting new records for participation. The World's Bianca Hillier spoke with runners and race directors across the globe to hear why they choose to lace up.

It may be hundreds of miles away from any coastline, but the Bavarian capital of Munich is home to one of the world's most iconic - albeit dangerous - waves. The Eisbach wave, apparently appeared overnight in 1972, after the city submerged several concrete blocks under a bridge to block the river's strong current. This created an accidental constant flowing wave effect - one which experienced surfers immediately seized upon. Reporter Rebecca Rosman reports from Munich.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an active hurricane season in a forecast released today. The agency expects up to 13 hurricanes, and up to half of those could be Category 3 or greater. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Fred Dewilde, a graphic novelist and survivor of both the 2015 Bataclan and 2016 Nice attacks, died earlier this week by suicide. His 2018 graphic memoir "La Morsure" or "The Bite" was a bestseller in France and told the story of how he coped with experiencing both attacks. Dewilde was a regular on French television speaking about his experience as a survivor. He was also an active member of Life for Paris, a support group for the survivors of the November 2015 attacks. In a statement, his family said he struggled to live with the trauma of the attacks. Rebecca Rosman reports from Paris.

The Aral Sea, which spans the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, used to be the fourth largest lake on the planet. It was home to many species of fish, as well as a thriving fishing industry. All of that changed when Soviet policy depleted the lake's water by diverting it to far-flung agriculture, turning a giant fresh water lake into a much smaller salt water lake. An engineering project turned things around - but the progress is once again on shaky ground. Levi Bridges reports from western Kazakhstan.

In the 1980s, a mime artist found himself in the midst of a university protest in Brazil's capital. Hit with an urge to speak out, the actions he took landed him in the global spotlight. Antonio Rocha shared his experience on "Stories from the Stage," a production of GBH's World TV.

Spain, Ireland and Norway say they will recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. They'll join 139 countries, including seven members of the European Union, who've already taken the step. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Khaled Elgindy, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, about the implications of recognition and Israel's growing isolation.

Despite the situation in Afghanistan, tourism has gone up there. The Taliban says the country hosted about 10,000 visitors last year, up from 7,000 the year before. Host Carolyn Beeler explores the pros and cons of making the journey.

Istanbul-based musician, Ayfer Duzda, has spent 25 years traveling through southeastern Anatolian villages, documenting Kurdish folk songs. Duzda arranges the vanishing melodies into full-ensemble pieces, artfully incorporating traditional techniques for the modern ear. Despite challenges performing her work in Turkey, she hopes to share Kurdish music with a new generation of listeners. Durrie Bouscaren first reported our story last fall.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled Tuesday that greenhouse gasses are a form of marine pollution, and it laid out governments' legal obligations to reduce that contamination and limit global warming. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, professor of law at the University of Amsterdam, about how this new tool that could bolster legal efforts by island nations to persuade industrial nations to reduce carbon emissions.

This year's International Booker Prize was awarded to Jenny Erpenbeck's novel "Kairos." It's the first translated German work to win the prize. Erpenbeck shares the prize with noted translator Michael Hofmann. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Hofmann about the work of a literary translator, which he says can sometimes feel like the equivalent of building a road.

Dozens of howler monkeys are dying in the jungle of Tabasco, a state in southeast Mexico, due to high temperatures caused by intense heat waves and drought. Neighbors and volunteer veterinarians have tried to save them by bringing water and food. Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.

Sweden, a Scandinavian nation that has long prided itself on social equality, now faces a growing wealth gap. The rise of Sweden's "super rich" is a trend that worries journalist Andreas Cervenka, author of "Greedy Sweden." He tells host Carolyn Beeler why inequality is rising so rapidly in Sweden.

Many young Thai men become ordained Buddhist monks, even if temporarily. It's a way of honoring one's family and serving the religious community. But this isn't an option for most Thais living in the US. Char Daston from member station WPLN attended the ordination of one man in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who took on the challenge of becoming a monk.

Who doesn't have a fond childhood memory that's grown hazy with time, especially because there was never a photo to solidify it in the mind's eye? Well, now a Spanish AI company is creating the image on paper based just on the memory. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Large parts of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil are still waterlogged three weeks after heavy rains flooded the state. Local and federal governments have promised to rebuild homes and businesses. But people are still digging out and, as Michael Fox reports, more rain is in the forecast.

US President Joe Biden calls the International Criminal Court's plans to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Israel and Hamas "outrageous." Since the court was created almost a quarter-century ago, the US has failed to become a state part to the court, even though it helped create it. Carolyn Beeler speaks with David Scheffer, former US ambassador at large for war crimes issues and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

South Korean officials are banning a group of videos and catchy songs glorifying North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. The songs, released in April, refer to Kim as a "great leader" and a "friendly father" and became big hits online. South Korea's media regulator called the songs and videos "psychological warfare." Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.

Severe turbulence is being blamed for the problems on board a Singapore Airlines flight today that left one man dead and dozens more injured. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Security forces rescued 350 hostages from Boko Haram captivity in Nigeria yesterday. The hostages had been held in a forest enclave by the militants before they were rescued. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Al Chukwuma Okoli, a professor of political science in Nigeria, about the state of Boko Haram and what this means for Nigeria.

Investigators in Britain this week released an explosive report detailing how more than 30,000 UK residents contracted HIV or hepatitis from tainted blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Survivors of the contamination and their families have welcomed new pledges of compensation. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Cara McGoogan, the author of "Blood Farm: The Explosive Big Pharma Scandal that Altered the AIDS Crisis."

The Dali, the container ship that struck Baltimore's Key Bridge, is now free of the wreckage, but still in Baltimore harbor as it is prepared for offloading. Its crew members are still on board, operating the ship as they remain the subjects of an investigation. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Sal Mercogliano, professor of maritime history at Campbell University, about the crew and their duties, obligations, and rights, as they are prevented from going ashore.

For all of May, people on both sides of the US-Mexico border are trying to document as many species of plants as possible. Naturalists have discovered that there are many species that are now hard to find in the United States, but healthy populations can be found across the border, and now wall, in Mexico. But tagging these species in Mexico can also be a challenge, in part because of risks from cartel activity. Host Carolyn Beeler talks with Sula Vanderplank, a field researcher for Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers, about the push to document species before it's too late.

The top prosecutor at the International Criminal Court today announced a request for arrest warrants from top leaders from both Hamas and the Israeli government. Karim Khan said that he has reason to believe that Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, along with the Israeli defense minister, and three top leaders from Hamas all "bear criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

In 1873, Levi Strauss teamed up with a tailor to add rivets - the small, circular pieces of metal - to denim pants to make them more durable. This created the industrialized version of blue jeans that the company still sells today. But many people think that history means that Levi's, the company, invented denim, the textile. An exhibition in Paris is helping to shed light on the real background. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

The Toussaint L'Ouverture Cultural Center of Massachusetts is set to celebrate its groundbreaking in Boston tonight. It will act as a gathering place and resource for local Haitians. And organizers hope it will also help the legacy of one of history's great leaders live on. GBH's Esteban Bustillos has the story.

An estimated 15 million people are expected to descend on Paris this July for the Olympic Games. The French government has promised that all spectators will be able to reach the sports venues via public transport. A new train line is also set to run from Orly, one of the city's key airports, out to the main Olympic sites. Not all Parisians are convinced that their transport network is up to the task, though. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports from Paris.

In the Republic of Georgia, a controversial bill that's been denounced as "the Russian law" is once again poised to be enacted. The president of Georgia vetoed the measure on Saturday; today, the speaker of the Parliament promised to override that veto. As host Carolyn Beeler reports, similar legislation in Russia is used to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits, and activists who are critical of the Kremlin.

A London court said Monday that the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, can appeal his extradition to the US. The move will further draw out Assange's legal fight against espionage charges that stem from accusations that he encouraged the theft of classified military documents and then published them online. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Iranians woke up on Monday to the news of the death of President Ibraheem Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The officials were traveling in a helicopter when it crashed in a mountainous area in the northwest of the country. The World brings reactions from Tehran and reports on what the deaths of these two high-ranking officials could mean for the future of the country.

Government critics in Tunisia are facing a new wave of arrests in Tunisia. Democracy has been backsliding there since President Kais Saied came to power in 2019. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Tarek Megerisi, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about what's behind the arrests and what this means for Tunisia.

In late February two Binance execs were grabbed by Nigeria and accused of manipulating their country's currency, naira. One of them, Tigran Gambaryan, is a former IRS investigator responsible for the earliest takedowns of crooked crypto currency exchanges. Some in the industry believe that Gambaryan is essentially being held hostage by the Nigerian government, hoping for a big payday from Binance. Dina Temple-Raston of the "Click Here" podcast has the story.

A tiny taqueria in Mexico City, with just four items on its menu, has been awarded a star by the French Michelin dining guide. The World's Tibisay Zea visited Tacos El Califa de Leon to learn their cooking secret.

The US military says the first aid shipment has arrived in the Gaza Strip via a floating pier off the coast of the territory. Humanitarian aid officials say basic necessities are desperately needed in Gaza. But the pier is also a sign of a failure in US-Israeli cooperation. The World's Matthew Bell speaks with host Carol Hills.

After the popular "Rascal Raccoon" cartoon series in the late 1970s, Japanese families rushed out to buy raccoons as pets. They discovered that the animals are rascally, as in the series, but much harder to care for than expected, so many abandoned their pets. Those pets bred and the number of raccoons has exploded, creating a scourge of raccoons in Tokyo. Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Nearly a week after flash floods caused by heavy rain devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, survivors are struggling with basic needs like shelter and food. The floods left at least 300 dead and many are still missing. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

France declared a state of emergency in its Pacific Islands territory of New Caledonia. At least three Indigenous Kanak people and two police officers have been killed in violence that began Monday night over a proposed amendment to the French constitution that expands French citizens' eligibility to vote in the archipelago's local elections. The World's Carol Hills speaks with Denise Fisher, a visiting fellow at Australian National University in Canberra From 2001 to 2004, Fisher was based in New Caledonia as Australian Consul-General.

Like alcoholics or drug addicts, many people are hooked on capitalism. That is, shopping for stuff they don't need, and polluting out of convenience. That's what a new group in France says, anyway. These weary citizens are starting to meet, to share their problems and get on a 8-step path to recovery from consumerism. Capitalists Anonymous is for anyone who feels worse the more they buy, or guiltier for using their gas-guzzling car, but can't seem to get unplug from the system. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Marseille, France.

An international group of Egyptologists has conducted research into how materials were transported to build pyramids across Egypt. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Suzanne Onstine, an Egyptologist at the University of Memphis, about the study her team conducted and how it explains Pyramid construction.

It's official. At a FIFA meeting in Thailand today, the federation's president Gianni Infantino announced that Brazil - arguably the most soccer-obsessed country - is going to host the next women's World Cup. The World's Bianca Hillier spoke to several exuberant Brazilians.

In an effort to try stop the proliferation of false visions or apparitions of Mother Mary, the Catholic Church has revised its rules for certifying them. Previously, bishops could recognize them as official. That's no longer the case. The World's Carolyn Beeler talks with Loup Besmond de Senneville, a reporter for La Croix, the leading Catholic news outlet in France, about the new rules handed down today.

China and Russia are both vying for an economic boost during President Vladimir Putin's two-day state visit. Putin wants Chinese leader Xi Jinping to finally endorse a long-proposed gas pipeline and to further strengthen trade and financial ties. Isabel Hilton of the China Dialogue Trust tells The World's Marco Werman that obstacles stand in the way of a closer embrace.

We join Paul Salopek, a National Geographic explorer, on the next leg of his journey across western Kazakhstan. Salopek meets horse wranglers, archaeologists working with flint metal, sufi mystics and musicians all along the ancient silk road, crossing into Central Asia. Host Marco Werman talks with Paul Salopek his experiences.