The World: Latest Stories

Rescue operations continue in Japan after a massive earthquake hit the region this week, authorities in Spain now know the cause of the country's devastating wildfires and, across Africa, many youth see an upside to USAID cuts to the continent. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler bring you those stories.

China has begun mass producing electric vehicles with sodium-ion batteries. The technology does not require critical minerals, and is widely considered more sustainable and accessible than the standard lithium-ion batteries. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Magda Titirici, a professor at Imperial College London, about the development.

Singer-songwriter Helado Negro grew up in Florida, the son of Ecuadorian immigrants, and became well-known for his personal and political experimental pop songs. Fabi Reyna was born in Mexico, grew up in Texas and founded Reyna Tropical, the indie-Latin-rock band from LA, as well as the magazine dedicated to women and nonbinary guitarists. The two got into the studio intending to write one song together, but three days later they ended up with the nine songs from their debut album Helado Tropical." Reporter Gisele Regatao has this profile of the duo.

Lab-grown diamonds have exploded in popularity, thanks to their high quality, low cost and ethical considerations. That reality is upending the market for natural, mined diamonds. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Pam Danziger, a luxury market analyst and Forbes contributor, about the shifting market dynamics.

This week, Cuba's government implemented new economic reforms aimed at loosening restrictions on private vendors and imports to help residents adapt to a US-imposed oil blockade. Jorge Pinon, a former oil executive who studies Cuba's energy system at the University of Texas, tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler he doesn't think the measures go far enough to address the deepening energy crisis.

UEFA - the European soccer governing body - says its 55 teams will sit out all FIFA competitions for as long as a plan to allow investors to buy 20% of the organization remains in place. The boycott would include the upcoming Women's World Cup and the next men's tournament - to be hosted by this summer's winner, Spain, along with Portugal and Morocco. FIFA argues the private cash will help soccer thrive around the world. Now, it must decide whether to possibly lose Europe or nix the plan altogether. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Embrun, France.

After gaining independence from the US 80 years ago, many Filipinos migrated to the United States - and settled down in San Diego, home to one of the largest Filipino communities today. Slowly, they built institutions, such as churches and restaurants, to make it more like home. KPBS reporter Elaine Alfaro reports on how they've maintained their cultural identity.

Irish musician Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash at the age of 56. The artist rose to global prominence when he co-starred in the movie "Once." Host Marco Werman pays his respects.

Prisons in Ontario are using an AI program that claims it can "predict" prisoners' behaviors. But it's sending a disproportionate number of Black inmates to maximum security detention. That's according to a report by journalist Desmond Cole in The Breach, an independent media outlet. Cole speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about the algorithm that seems to be replicating systemic racism.

Until recently, every Italian teenager dreamed of getting a moped for their birthday - buzzing through the streets on a Piaggio Si or a 50cc Vespa. But with sales dropping precipitously, Deutsche Welle, DW's, Angelo van Schaik went to Italy to find out if that dream is still alive, or if it's changing.

Members of a group known as the Justice-Seeking Mothers" all have one thing in common: loved ones who were killed by the Iranian security forces during anti-government protests. Some have loved ones who are currently detained or at risk of execution. They hold regular meetings, attend gatherings at their children's grave sites, and are united by the goal of keeping their children's stories alive, and bringing the perpetrators to justice. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

The US has been campaigning to dismantle the International Criminal Court, and now Venezuela has announced its planned withdrawal. The court has spent years investigating alleged crimes against humanity under Venezuela's ousted president, Nicolas Maduro, but no arrest warrants have been made public. Venezuelan victims and advocates say the slow pace has caused deep frustration, even as many still see the ICC as their best hope for justice. The World's Tibisay Zea explains.

Filipino migration to San Diego ramped up at the turn of the 20th century, when the Philippines became a US territory. As the US military set up bases in the Philippines, families stationed there planted gardens - and sent tasty island produce home. Elaine Alfaro brings us the story from KPBS in San Diego.

Members of the K-pop supergroup BTS said they were withdrawing from the Grammys over awards being "divided by region or language." The World's Host Marco Werman discusses the latest twist in the ongoing debate over how to categorize music in the Grammy Awards and beyond with music journalist Tomas Mier.

Chilean folk musician Victor Jara was murdered in the first days of former President Augusto Pinochet's regime in 1973. Several army officers were found guilty of the killing and sentenced in 2023. One of them fled but was captured this past weekend, marking the final turn in the pursuit of justice for Jara's death. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler remember Jara and his global impact.

Across the US, celebrations are underway to mark 250 years since the country declared independence and launched the fight to break free from British colonial rule. But the Fourth of July also marked 80 years since the US granted independence to a colony of its own: the Philippines. It was called the Treaty of Manila. As Kori Suzuki of KPBS reports in the first of our three-part series, the US occupation and the years that followed would reshape the world, and especially San Diego.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the Oval Office today facing growing differences with US President Donald Trump over the war with Iran and Mideast strategy. A White House official called the meeting positive and productive," but it was closed to the press. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas about what is at stake for both leaders.

Venezuelan musician and composer Gonzalo Grau is always mixing sounds and genres together, whether playing with his bands Plural or La Clave Secreta, or writing pieces for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Grau recently stopped by The World's studios at GBH to speak with Host Carolyn Beeler. He had just arrived in Boston after witnessing the devastating earthquakes in Caracas.

The French army's 8th Signal Regiment is breeding the continent's last military carrier pigeons. It may sound more than old fashioned, but perhaps we shouldn't be so dismissive - after all, carrier pigeons did play key roles during both the First and Second World Wars. From DW, Inside Europe's Lisa Bryant has been visiting the flock.

Off the coast of South Africa, scientists have reported more frequent sightings of "supergroups" of humpback whales. But in December, a photographer saw something unprecedented: a supergroup of some 300 humpbacks. It's considered a promising sign that the species is recovering after the 1986 ban on commercial whaling.

July 29 is Global Tiger Day, created in 2010 when wild tigers were on the brink of extinction. Since then, tigers have rebounded, especially in Nepal. But as the government prepares to release the latest tiger numbers, the challenge is no longer just bringing them back - it's figuring out how people and predators can share the same landscape. Earlier this year, Danielle Preiss went to Nepal to find out.

In Angola, two Russians were convicted last week on terrorism and espionage charges. The Angolan government says the two men are part of a network called Africa Politology, a Russian political influence network accused of spreading anti-Western disinformation across the continent. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks to Lou Osborn, an investigator with the Swiss NGO Inpact, who researches Russian influence networks in Africa.

While many teenagers dream of spending their summer holidays at the beach, some Latvian high school students are choosing to spend theirs at military bases, taking part in three weeks of combat training and lessons on emergency preparedness. The World's Joshua Coe visited one of the camps, and found that the NATO member state bordering Russia is building a "whole-of-country" approach to national security.

In India, the satirically named Cockroach Janta party is celebrating a victory, after weeks of protests. The student-led movement said the government has agreed to at least some of its demands, including the resignation of the country's education minister on Saturday.

Victor Gonzalez grew up watching clear rivers flow through the forests of his rural hometown in Colombia's Amazonian Caqueta region. But when this bee biologist at the University of Kansas returns home for visits these days, the mood is somber. Natalie Skowlund reports on Gonzalez's efforts to keep the pollinators from extinction.

Wildfires are raging across western Europe. For the first time, Spain has issued a state of emergency over the fires; and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in France. The way firefighters tackle these blazes is very different from working in an urban environment. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Lindon Pronto, an American wildland fire expert and trainer based in Germany.

An estimated 35,000 Nepalese aid workers lost their jobs after USAID cuts. Among those left without work, about 100 LGBTQ+ aid workers have turned to sex work to survive. That's according to AP investigative reporter Kristen Gelineau. She traveled to the city of Hetauda to see the impact of the aid cuts on the ground and tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about some of the women she met.

An Instagram post by the young Algerian guitarist Fati Tiniri Tam from the small city of Tamanrasset in the desert of Algeria caught the attention of Host Marco Werman, who shares what he heard.

Britain's National Crime Agency says one of the country's biggest cybersecurity threats is the rise of teenage hackers. Earlier this month, two young men were convicted over the 2024 cyberattack on London's public transport network, which caused months of disruption and cost millions of British pounds. The pair were members of the cybercrime group Scattered Spider. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The US has moved a considerable amount of military assets near the Middle East - combat jets, tankers, special operations personnel and medical support, according to reports. The World's Shirin Jaafari looks at whether this is a show of force by the Trump administration to push Iran to come to accept a deal, or signs of further escalation.

India is seeing a new wave of anti-government protests inspired by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party. While a leading figure of the movement, activist Sonam Wangchuk, has ended his hunger strike, young people are pushing for more change. Award-winning Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy joins The World's Host Marco Werman to discuss what the movement reveals about the country's political moment and whether India's growing protests have staying power.

After more than 20 years of planning and building, this weekend's opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, was supposed to be a glorious bilateral affair. But Canada is going it alone today, after a spat ignited by US President Donald Trump. The World's Host Marco Werman explains.

The mackerel population has been in a major decline for 10 years, dropping by more than 10 million tons due to aggressive overfishing. Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the UK, the EU and Russia are fighting over what's left, despite warnings from scientists that the current catch rates will lead to the complete collapse of the fishery. Host Marco Werman speaks with Jonny Hughes, a fisheries expert with the London-based Blue Marine Foundation.

Thirty years ago this year, the first Tibetan Freedom Concert was held in San Francisco. Earlier this week, we heard the backstory of how the concerts began. Today, we hear about day itself; the very first concert that included the Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine and more. This excerpt is from the "Freedom Needs a Soundtrack" podcast. It's hosted by Erin Potts, who helped co-organize the event.

The building where Adolf Hitler was born is now a police station. Austrian officials have long struggled with how to stop the site from being a place of commemoration for neo-Nazis. However, critics say using the building for the police sends the wrong message. Host Marco Werman explains.

Member states of the International Criminal Court voted to remove its chief prosecutor today. The move comes at a perilous time for the ICC, which was created in 2002 to prosecute atrocities and crimes against humanity. Host Marco Werman has the details.

How did humans populate what we now call the Western Hemisphere? The old theory said that humans walked across an historic land bridge from Asia to Alaska in search of big game. A more recent hypothesis posits that ancient humans paddled along the coastline from river to river in pursuit of salmon. One anthropologist calls it the "fishing link." National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been looking into this as he paddles down Alaska's coastline into British Columbia, and joins Host Marco Werman to explain what he's learned.

When meeting a stranger, it's always useful to have someone you trust vouch for them. Brazilian superstar Djavan is not a household name in the US, but he's got the endorsement of none other than Stevie Wonder. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler has more.

Houthi rebel attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and their blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are hiking oil prices. Brent crude has climbed above $100 a barrel. Chatham House's Nitya Labh tells The World's Host Marco Werman investors are worried that prolonged disruptions could reduce global oil supplies and push prices even higher.

A unique collection made up of artwork and other objects that escaped Nazi Germany in 1938 is being shown in Prague. The Wurtz Collection is an extraordinary visual record of disability in Europe. It spans thousands of paintings, photographs, engravings and objects that form a visual archive of how disabled people have been portrayed in Europe. Deutsche Welle, DW's, Rob Cameron reports.

Located in a touristy area of Tokyo, a charming little dive bar called "Not Suspicious" is offering international guests a haven away from pushy touts and bars actively serving "Japanese Only." The walls are lined with notes and drawings from patrons who have come from across the world. From Minnesota Public Radio, Jacob Aloi reports.

Two of OpenAI's agents teamed up to hack into a different company's digital library. This was during a test, when the AI models were supposed to be cut off from the internet. It sounds like something out of science fiction. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Rumman Chowdhury about what this all means.

There are plenty of jokes. And lots of laughs. But the regular Chinese-language open mic events in New York city called "Nuzhizhuyi" - which translates into "feminism" from Mandarin - are not just about stand-up comedy. These get-togethers also serve as a place for activists, students and young professionals to meet, engage in group therapy and share pointed views on life back home in China and here in the United States. The World's Matthew Bell has our story.This story originally aired on July 4, 2025.

US President Donald Trump approved a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia Wednesday that would expand cooperation on nuclear energy, according to The Wall Street Journal. While details have not yet been officially released, critics say the deal could also make it easier for the kingdom to support a nuclear weapons program. Matthew Bunn, faculty chair of the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, pointed out to The World's Host Marco Werman that Saudi Arabia would be the only country to sign such an agreement with the US, despite its leader suggesting it would build nuclear weapons if necessary.

Since the introduction of ChatGPT, many people are using the chatbot to find out what they need to know, instead of Google. According to Google, its AI Overview now has over 2.5 billion monthly active users. But what happens when the AI gets the answer wrong - or is tricked into providing misinformation? Brian Reed and the team at "Question Everything," an investigative podcast from KCRW and Placement Theory, looks into that question.

For 10 nights, the US has carried out airstrikes in southern parts of Iran. Most of the targets, according to the Pentagon, have been military assets and facilities, but residents say they are suffering as a result of the attacks. Residents say they're living in constant fear of further attacks while struggling to access basic necessities. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

A new UN report finds the number of people experiencing hunger dropped in 2025 compared to the year before. However, several events this year, including the war in Iran and the ongoing El Nino weather pattern, could threaten that progress. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with chief economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Maximo Torero, about the report's findings.

Mexico City has been sinking for more than a century, but new satellite data is showing scientists exactly where the ground is dropping fastest. In some areas, it's been recently falling by more than a foot a year. The World's Tibisay Zea walks through the city with experts who point out the signs hidden in plain sight - and what they reveal about the city's future.

ChatGPT has gone rogue. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, disclosed yesterday that it was running a security test on a new AI agent when things went sideways. An agent is an AI system that, unlike traditional chatbots, has the ability to plan and execute multiple steps without human intervention. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

An increasing number of alcohol-fueled violent incidents have happened on German trains and in Deutsche Bahn stations. The railway is banning public consumption of alcohol from its stations beginning in September. Some test cases, they say, have proven wildly successful. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.