The World: Latest Stories

A middle-aged Japanese recently pleaded guilty to a strange crime: attempting to sell weapons-grade plutonium" acquired in Myanmar to an Iranian general. Unfortunately, for the gangster, the Iranian" was a fictitious character invented by DEA agents. The guy will likely disappear into the American prison system for life - but a huge mystery still surrounds his case: how did he cop weapons-grade" plutonium in Myanmar, a poor country with no known enrichment facilities? The World's Patrick Winn reports.

During the Cold War, the US State Department sent jazz artists like Louis Armstrong and Dizzie Gillespie to countries in Africa on a goodwill tour. Meanwhile, the United States was also cooperating with Belgium to set up the assassination of the charismatic prime minister of the newly independent Congo. The filmmaker, Johan Grimonprez, talks about these two dual missions, and what they mean for Congo today.

The war on the battlefield in Ukraine is more or less at a stalemate, but the war of words between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump is heating up. The exchange came one day after Trump accused Zelenskyy of starting the war in Ukraine, which began after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a large-scale invasion of the country three years ago. Zelenskyy told reporters earlier Wednesday that Trump is living in this disinformation space" created by Russia.

Saudi Arabia is pouring billions of dollars into what it describes as a futuristic megaproject." Neom is currently under construction in the northwest of the kingdom, and it has been mired with controversy from the start. From the violent displacement of the tribes that lived on the land, to the abuse of the workers tasked with turning the crown prince's vision into reality. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports on how a group of influencers are now giving us a glimpse into this megaproject.

An ongoing trial in Istanbul has indicted 47 doctors, nurses and other health workers in a conspiracy to scam the country's social security system. Doctors allegedly gave families fake diagnoses to place their newborns in intensive care, which led to the deaths of at least 10 babies - prosecutors say. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

Authorities in the Philippines have come up with a creative way to combat the mosquito-borne illness dengue. They've put a bounty on the heads of mosquitos to encourage locals to collect the insects and their larvae. Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine talks with The World's Marco Werman about why global campaigns to prevent dengue are so important.

The host of this year's Tony Awards has just been announced. British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo, most recently the star of "Wicked," will present the coveted theater awards. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been charged for alleged involvement in a coup plot following his 2022 election defeat. The allegations include plans to murder his opponent Lula da Silva, the current president. These are the first criminal charges faced by Bolsonaro, who is already banned from running in the country's upcoming presidential election. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Celso Barros, a columnist for Folha de Sao Paulo. Barros joined the show from Rio de Janeiro

Nearly 2,700 years ago, Egypt was conquered by kings from neighboring Nubia. Archaeologists are looking into this moment in history. One recent discovery tells us that the status of Egyptian women was elevated during this time. Mariam Ayad teaches at American University in Cairo and she contributes to the new Nova documentary, "Egypt's Tombs of Amun."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emerged from a lengthy meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov with an agreement to restart diplomatic relations between the two countries and start formal consultations on a peace deal on Ukraine. The two men were both bullish about diplomatic and economic prospects for the future.

Monday's dramatic scene of an upside-down plane on the frigid tarmac of Toronto's international airport is just the latest in a series of major aviation mishaps over the past month. With a public getting nervous about whether it's safe to fly, Marco Werman speaks with Hassan Shahidi, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving aviation safety.

Earth's oceans are said to be the greatest source of untapped renewable energy, offering a nearly continuous and highly predictable source of clean energy. This kind of energy will complement the now well established but intermittent and occasionally uncertain wind and solar. David Kattenburg reports from the Netherlands.

Muhsin Hendricks, known as one of the world's only out gay imams and the only one in Africa, was shot dead over the weekend in what looks like a targeted hit. Hendricks was both loved and reviled for his work promoting tolerance in South Africa and around the world. Jamie Fullerton visited Hendricks at his mosque two years ago and reflects on his life.

A "firewall" against the far-right is one of the key features of German politics. Known as the brandmauer, it emerged after the Second World War as a way to ensure that no far-right extremist group would ever again get into power. US Vice President JD Vance told a room of European lawmakers and diplomats in Munich last weekend that there was "no room for firewalls." Some in Germany fear the days of the firewall may be numbered. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Humans have a uniquely complex way of communicating vocally. A study published Tuesday in Nature Communications identified a gene linked to the ancient origins of the human gift of gab. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Robert Darnell, a co-author on the paper. Darnell runs the Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-oncology at Rockefeller University in New York.

Visitors to Chengdu Snow Village in China were shocked to see picturesque houses and paths covered not with snow, but with sheets of fluffy cotton. The resort was forced to shut down and apologize for its deception.

Some of the most-famous buildings in the world are made from earth and clay, and they date back thousands of years. Now, earth homes are making a comeback as engineers try to reduce carbon emissions. Manuel Rueda has the story from Colombia.

Ukrainians can never flee the war in their country as Russia continues its massive bombardment of the country. But in Russia, it's a different story. For all intents and purposes, life continues as normal. Host Marco Werman recalls conversations he's had with Nina Kruscheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in New York.

European leaders and Trump administration officials are attending the Munich Security Summit over the weekend. We'll have the latest on what was discussed, and how it might effect the war in Ukraine.

We've checked in numerous times with Andrii Shadrin since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. He started fighting in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, where he was born. Shadrin is now a 29-year-old sergeant in a military unit that repairs and replaces equipment for use on the front lines. He speaks with The World's Carolyn Beeler.

In 2023, Ukraine marked 10 years since an uprising that changed the country. The "Maidan Revolution," as it's been called, was a protest against a Russia-installed leader of Ukraine. Many people, especially younger Ukrainians, wanted the country to lean towards the west, not Russia. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, both sides are looking for ways to replenish their forces. There are no confirmed numbers, but between them, Russia and Ukraine have lost hundreds of thousands of troops. Ukraine has made a concerted effort to draw fighters from Latin America. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler has more details.

In Ukraine, musician Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a living legend. But few of his songs have had as much meaning or poignancy as "Chovan," which describes the country on both sides of the Dnipro River. As The World's hosts explain, while the bridge over that river has been destroyed, the spiritual bridge that connects all Ukrainians remains firmly intact.

With heavy losses of soldiers, Russia is also looking for outside help to bolster its forces. But some of their foreign fighters did not knowingly volunteer - instead, they were tricked into joining the fight. Reporter Sushmita Pathak has the story of how some Indian soldiers ended up fighting for Russia. And the effort to bring them back home.

In the early weeks and months after the beginning of Vladimir Putin's war, Ukrainian forces liberated areas that had been briefly under Russian occupation. Those forces discovered atrocities committed by the Russian military. We look back at a report from The World's Shirin Jaafari, who visited a mass grave site in Izium, Ukraine. She gives an update on the investigation into how these mass graves came to be, and the prosecution of war crimes.

On Sunday, many Russians will commemorate the one-year anniversary since the death of Alexei Navalny. Navalny was the most-prominent Russian opposition politician and a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin. The World's Daniel Ofman reports about Navalny's legacy, and how his organization is still functioning today.

Chile's biggest carnival is kicking off at full speed on Friday. As many as 150,000 people have traveled to the northern Chilean town of Arica to participate. But this is not your typical carnival. Most of the dances and music come from Bolivia. And it is a celebration of Indigenous identities and cultures. Michael Fox has the story, from Arica, Chile.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills catch you up on a few animal stories you might have missed.

A UK court heard a case brought against the international oil company Shell by communities in Nigeria's Niger River Delta. The Ogoni people claim that decades of oil spills by Shell and its local subsidiary in Nigeria have left the region with contaminated drinking water and farmlands. Shell contends that "oil spills due to theft, illegal refining and sabotage" are to blame for the pollution. The World's Carol Hils spoke to Diolu Tobechukwu, a climate justice advocate based in the city of Port Harcourt in the Nigeria's River State.

In an answer to rising antisemitism in Australia, lawmakers there passed tough anti-hate crime laws last week, with mandatory jail time for giving the Nazi salute in public. Incidents of antisemitism have been rising over the past 15 months - by some counts, more than 300%. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports on the extent of the problem, and what the Australian government is doing about it.

South Korean women are at the center of the weekly protests calling for the removal of President Yoon Suk- yeol. They see Yoon, among other things, as an obstacle to women's rights. That's hardly surprising, since Yoon won in 2022 promising to lead a backlash against feminism. The World's Matthew Bell reports from Seoul.

Rafik Hariri was a charismatic Lebanese prime minister who oversaw an era of relative economic and political stability until his assassination. His son, Saad Hariri, who was also a prime minister, returned to Beirut for a speech remembering his father. Amal Mudallali was Rafik Hariri's foreign policy adviser and more recently a permanent representative to the UN for Lebanon. He spoke with host Carol Hills about Hariri's legacy and Lebanon's future.

Researchers have used a variety of techniques to learn how nine mummified bodies in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo smell. The scents, described as woody, spicy and sweet, revealed new details about ancient mummification practices in a paper published this week by a collaboration of conservators and curators at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and researchers from Slovenia, Poland and the UK. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills explain.

An update on a story we brought you on Wednesday about a new housing law in Denmark. The European Court of Justice on Thursday issued a preliminary ruling.

The president of the Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest countries, announced on X that it was releasing a new cryptocurrency on Sunday - a meme coin. The token, abbreviated CAR, skyrocketed in value, even when the public wondered if the announcement of the new cryptocurrency was authentic. Aanu Adeoye is a correspondent for the Financial Times based in Lagos who was able to get to the bottom of what was going on, and recounts where the fortunes of CAR are headed next.

Americans have increasingly been arrested for involvement in organized crime in Mexico, according to an investigation by the Mexican news outlet Animal Politico, published this week. They found that the number of Americans arrested between 2018 and 2024 skyrocketed 457% compared to the previous period. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke to Cecilia Farfan Mendez, a researcher at the University of California San Diego. She focuses on US-Mexico security, especially organized crime.

The city of Kyoto is known as Japan's cultural and spiritual capital. And for good reason. Kyoto has hundreds of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, some of which are associated with the country's imperial history. They're very popular with foreign tourists. But some of the locals in Kyoto say they're simply being overwhelmed by overtourism. The World's Matthew Bell reports from Kyoto.

Activists say police in Azerbaijan created fake profiles on the LGBT dating app Grindr in an effort to entrap gay men and extort them for money. As The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports, the technique is gaining traction around the world, even in countries where same-sex relationships are not criminalized.

In the chaotic days when Kabul fell to the Taliban, Zalaikha Wahid escaped Afghanistan with some of her family. Now settled in the US, she hopes to become a doctor, but it's not so easy. She shared her experience with GBH's Stories from the Stage.

The much-publicized trial of the former coach of Spain's women's national soccer team has come to a close. Luis Rubiales is accused of kissing a player, allegedly without her consent, after a big win at the 2023 Women's World Cup. Rubiales has maintained that the kiss, on TV in front of soccer fans worldwide, was consensual. The player, Jennifer Hermoso, says she never agreed to a kiss on the lips. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

In Chile, pet cemeteries seem to be everywhere - they dot the landscape in almost every city. And they aren't Stephen King creepy. They're beloved. But they're also largely unregulated. And that's causing problems. Michael Fox has the story from the northern Chilean town of Arica.

The border between neighbors Afghanistan and Pakistan is seeing a rising amount of violence the past few months. Bombings, cross-border shooting and killings have become common as Pakistan's government is losing patience with the Taliban government next door. Pakistan played a significant role in the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan but so far has yet to see any significant benefit. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Graeme Smith from the International Crisis Group about the escalating violence along the border between the two countries and what it could mean for these two neighbors.

Fifty years ago, the pop superstars ABBA donated all proceeds from the song "Chiquitita" to UNICEF. The song is still making money, and that money is now being spent exclusively in Guatemala where it's funding health workers who work in rural areas with children on sexual health issues. Jamie Fullerton reports from the central highlands of Guatemala.

A public works project to build a dam to protect the Klabava River was delayed for seven years. Then, beavers stepped in. The World's Carolyn Beeler explains the story.

Washington says it is ready to start peace talks to end the war in Ukraine immediately." But it's also undercut Kyiv's negotiation room, saying it has ruled out NATO membership for the ally. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ukrainian-born journalist and chief foreign-affairs correspondent at The Wall Street Journal Yaroslav Trofimov about the shifting dynamics. They also discuss Trofimov's new novel set in Ukraine. It's called "No Country For Love."

When it opened in 1992 on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Zu Lai temple was the first of its kind in the region. After a major expansion, it now occupies more than 100,000 square feet and is the largest tourist attraction in the city of Cotia. As part of our Sacred Spaces series, Gisele Regatao visits the temple to understand the growing influence of Buddhism in Brazil.

A Russian man convicted of money laundering is part of the prisoner exchange that freed American Marc Fogel on Tuesday, anonymous officials tell The Associated Press. The deal between the US and Russia is part of shifting relationship that could have direct impacts on the war in Ukraine.

The closest piece of US soil to Asia is the island of Guam. It's only 2,000 miles from China's coast and, for that reason, Guam is covered in US military bases and taking on more. The Marine Corps is building a vast new complex there. But as The World's Patrick Winn reports, some Guam natives are uneasy seeing more of their land fall under Pentagon control.

The civil war in Sudan has been raging for nearly two years and has displaced an estimated 12 million people. Now, there are reports that the breakaway military faction, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has stormed the Zamzam Refugee Camp in North Darfur, Sudan's largest displacement camp. Marco Werman speaks with Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, who has been monitoring the situation on the ground.

Denmark is taking a wrecking ball to people's homes in neighborhoods where the government says residents don't share Danish values." A law that came into effect six years ago allows the demolition of homes in communities designated "parallel societies." The underlying idea is called "integration through dispersion" but as the world's Joshua Coe reports, this attempt at social engineering is raising concerns, and the country's most-vulnerable people seem to be left in the dust.