The World: Latest Stories

If you're unfamiliar with the science around "mirror life", well, welcome to the club. But this somewhat obscure field of research is coming under new scrutiny. Because a new study says that "mirror microbes" could actually be an existential threat to life on Earth. Host Carol Hills speaks with Vaughn Cooper, an evolutionary microbiologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

An Iranian singer was hailed as a hero by supporters on Thursday but faced prosecution after giving an online concert without wearing a head covering - the hijab - in defiance of the Islamic dress code. Host Carol Hills has the story of Parastoo Ahmadi, who streamed the concert on her YouTube channel late on Wednesday.

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan has proposed updating the country's national anthem. The current anthem was adopted shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union and no longer represents the mature republic Kyrgyzstan has become in the years since, according to Japarov. Host Carol Hills has the details.

Emerging research pinpoints the exact time when Neanderthals and Homo sapiens began interbreeding to 47 years ago. That interbreeding left a genetic marker on modern human beings. Host Carol Hill speaks with evolutionary scientists Chris Springer about the significance of the study and what these genetic markers actually look like.

Sednaya Prison in Damascus was synonymous with the brutality of Syria's Assad regime. Once inside, prisoners had little chance of coming out alive. Yet over the past week, thousands of families rushed to the prison in the hope of finding their missing loved ones. Many left with no answer. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

For decades, Canada has been home to the largest Sikh community outside the Indian state of Punjab. But as diplomatic tensions flare up between Canada and India, some members of the Sikh faith face heightened threats. The World's Bianca Hillier reports from Toronto.

Amrith Saligrama spent the early days of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in his Massachusetts town going on long walks with his grandfather until the lack of public restrooms on their route became a problem. Saligrama tried to make restrooms easier to locate, but he hit a bureaucratic wall. Ultimately, one of his grandfather's proverbs inspired him to try a different approach. This story comes to us from the television show, "Stories from the Stage."

Climate change is a challenge for farmers everywhere. That includes coffee farmers. But climate change alone doesn't explain the current uptick in prices. There's another force at play. Peter Roberts, an academic director of specialty coffee programs at the Business and Society Institute at Emory University, helps demystify what's happening in the market.

In northern Tunisia, along the coast, farmers have been practicing a unique form of agriculture that goes back to the 17th century. It is called Ramli, where crops grow on sandy substrates in the lagoons by the sea. Because of climate change and urbanization, this unique form of agriculture is now threatened. Lilia Blaise reports from the small beach town of Ghal El Mellah.

On Thursday, South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk-sol vowed to fight on until "the very last minute" as members of his own party seem poised to side with the opposition in a second impeachment vote this weekend. Yoon justified his declaration of martial law last week as defending South Korea's democracy against "legislative tyranny." Carol Hills gets the latest from Washington Post reporter Kelly Kasulis Cho, who's in Seoul.

The Assad regime is over. But the work Syria needs to do to rebuild from years of war and destruction will cost billions of dollars. The World's Omar Duwaji discusses the likelihood of sanctions lifting, the current impact of sanctions on everyday life in Syria, and what needs to happen for Syrians to regain access to crucial goods and services.

While most of Syria has fallen to the rebels, a triangle-shaped territory in the northeast corner of Syria is controlled by a Kurdish group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. Now, they're being targeted by rebel factions. Carol Hills speaks with Wladimir Van Wilgenburg, who has worked on two books about the Syrian Kurds and is based in Erbil, a Kurdish area in northern Iraq.

Tinariwen is a Tuareg music collective from the Sahara Desert that fuses American blues with Tuareg and African folk styles. Their new album, "Idrache (Traces of the Past)" came out last month. Carol Hills has the story.

The art of sake brewing has a 1,300-year-old history that represents more than just a drink - it's a symbol of Japanese culture, craftsmanship and community. Earlier this month, UNESCO's advisory panel added sake brewing techniques to its list of intangible cultural heritage. Rebecca Rosman reports from Fukushima prefecture in Japan.

You've probably seen those warnings about online romance scams and can't-lose-investment schemes. Well, these days a lot of those hustles are coming out of Southeast Asia. And some of them are being committed by people who are forced to scam at gunpoint. Dina Temple-Raston from the "Click Here" podcast has the story of one man who was captured and forced into the business.

International college students - and their schools in the US - are bracing for President-elect Donald Trump's second term. College administrators insist foreign students are welcome on campus. But as GBH's Kirk Carapezza reports from Boston, that message doesn't always match the student experience.

The Arctic tundra is now releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it stores. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Twila Moon, deputy director of science at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. She is the lead editor of this year's Arctic Report Card, released yesterday, which shows how rising temperatures are forcing the Arctic's plants, wildlife and the people that depend on them to rapidly adapt to a warmer, wetter and less certain world.

After decades of refusing to allow a movie version of his most famous novel, the two sons of Gabriel Garcia Marquez have sold the rights to Netflix. The series begins today. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is an upcoming Colombian magical realism television series based on the 1967 novel of the same name. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Nigel Richards is a professional Scrabble player from New Zealand who won this year's Spanish-language Scrabble world championship despite two obvious handicaps: It was the first time he'd entered the tournament and, more importantly, he doesn't speak Spanish. Richards is a global phenom and has also won the French-language Scrabble world championship twice in recent years despite not knowing French. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with 2024 North American Scrabble champion Mack Meller about how Richards does it and the fascination he has inspired among Scrabble players around the world.

Nuclear waste from fuel production is tricky. If mishandled, it can irradiate large areas and drinking water - and linger for decades. Canada has recently come to an agreement to bury nuclear waste deep under the ground near the remote town of Ignace. Edwin Lyman is the director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who explains how the disposal process ideally works and what makes it challenging.

Sometimes it feels like we're all getting dumber. A new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sheds light on the matter. It found reading and math scores for adults in most of the world's high-income countries have declined during the past decade. One of the study's authors, the OECD's Glenda Quintini, talks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about the findings.

Kenya's Ruth Chepng'etich won the Chicago Marathon in October in the fastest time ever recorded for the distance. She crossed the finish line in just 2 hours, 9 minutes and 56 seconds. That's faster than 5 minutes per mile. The win was so extraordinary that it had some people questioning whether it was valid. Now, the results are in and Chepng'etich's world record is finally official. The World's Bianca Hillier has the details.

Governments across Europe have paused asylum applications from Syrians following the fall of President Bashar Al Assad. Germany, which is home to close to a million Syrian refugees, announced this week that it is freezing its asylum application system because the situation in Syria is so unclear. The Austrian government said it is planning a deportation program for Syrians living in the country. The speed at which European countries have announced the change is being condemned by human rights groups. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Syrians waited in long queues at border gates in southern Turkey this week, preparing to return to the country. With a dictator gone and loved ones newly released from prison, many Syrians who have lived in Turkey for years are eager to return. Others say an evolving security situation and financial concerns are giving them pause. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, northern Spain, helped transform a post-industrial city in decay into a hub for culture and tourism. The museum wants to expand that success by opening annexes in the nearby Basque countryside. But the site it's chosen is ruffling some feathers: an old shipyard abutting the an important bird sanctuary and migratory resting spot. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from the Urdaibai wetlands.

With Canada's first WNBA team, a new soccer league and a successfully launched hockey league, Toronto is on the forefront of the growth of women's sports. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the movement and how it could impact young Canadians.

Chiung Yao, a romance writer who published best-selling novels in the Chinese-speaking world, died on Wednesday. She was 86. She died at her home in New Taipei City, Taiwan. She began writing in the early '60s, and almost single-handedly helped shape the idea of romantic love for generations. Her novels were so popular that many named their children after her characters. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand today in his long-running corruption trial. He faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and taking bribes - all of which he denies. Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.

In the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, the Israeli government canceled tens of thousands of Palestinian work permits, leaving many important sectors - agriculture and construction in particular - understaffed. Meanwhile, youth unemployment in India has people there looking for jobs outside their own country. That's created a new labor migration pipeline from India to Israel. Sushmita Pathak reports from New Delhi on the workers being lured to a conflict zone for work.

The universe's rate of expansion is 8% faster than all theories on the subject suggest. That's been confirmed by data from the James Webb Space Telescope in a paper published this week. The paper corroborates previous data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Host Carolyn Beeler explains the details.

As many Syrians rejoice at the downfall of the former dictatorship in their country, they also face immediate challenges. Israel has been conducting numerous strikes on targets across Syria, many of which have reportedly destroyed chemical weapons stores belonging to the former Assad regime. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, about what Israel is seeking to accomplish with its strikes on Syria.

The number of foreign-born older people in the US is increasing fast: It's expected to reach 23% of the total older population by 2060. But the US health care system is not well prepared to cater to aging immigrants. In an increasingly immigrant community in the Hamptons, in New York, Ashley Milne-Tyte reports on a hospital offering fall prevention classes in Spanish.

Ghana's former President John Dramani Mahama has clinched a comeback election victory and will return to power seven years after stepping down. High youth unemployment and a crumbling economy were top of mind for many voters, as reporter Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman tells The World's Host Carol Hills.

In South Korea, a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol failed over the weekend. The motion was called after Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law last week, sending waves of panic across the country. While the impeachment vote failed, Yoon now faces an investigation and a travel ban. But the country is now facing political uncertainty, with many calling for the president to resign.

This year marked the end of the latest El Nino, a climate event that warmed the Pacific Ocean and played a role in 2024 becoming the hottest year on record. This winter, a La Nina could begin. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Chris Callahan, a climate scientist at Stanford University. He joined the show from Palo Alto, California.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and, for the first time in two decades, Syrians say they are experiencing a taste of freedom. Assad brutally repressed a popular uprising, which started in 2011. His forces killed, tortured and imprisoned those who spoke out against the government. During the 13-year war, Assad used chemical weapons on his own people and besieged and starved people living in areas under opposition control. The World's Shirin Jaafari has been speaking with Syrians about what his departure means to them.

The Hindu festival of Maha Kumbh Mela only takes place once every 12 years. But when it does, it's big. The previous festival in the cycle was the largest peaceful gathering of humans ever recorded. Next month's festival is promising to dwarf that record.

In 2018, singer-guitarist Olguita Acuna left Nicaragua in the dead of night, following death threats and police harassment. Acuna made it to neighboring Costa Rica, sofa surfed, and, like many others forced to flee Nicaragua, applied for refugee status. Now, she's carrying on her activism. Jamie Fullerton reports.

When you're more than 7,000 miles away from where you spent most of your childhood, there's nothing like playing a familiar game from home. In Denver, 18 boys from Afghanistan are getting to play cricket with other boys as part of an effort to bring the sport to more Colorado youth. Colorado Public Radio's Jenny Brundin reports.

Russian state news agencies reported yesterday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia where they will be granted asylum. For years, the Kremlin's political backing and military support has enabled Assad to cling onto power. Today, Russia's military still has boots on the ground in Syria - but with the fall of the Assad regime, that military foothold has become uncertain. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

A new directive from Taliban leaders bans women from studying dentistry, nursing and midwifery. The group, which took over the country by force in 2021 after the US withdrawal, also reportedly prevents women from getting treatment from male doctors unless a male guardian is present. Human rights activists say they are alarmed about what these restrictions mean for the future of Afghan women's access to healthcare. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

If you - like us - are concerned about the overindulgences of the holiday season, you might want to take a cue from the Italians. In Italy, it's a common practice to take a brisk walk after a big meal. The stroll is often a chance to see and be seen, an opportunity to appreciate the neighborhood where you live, and yes, a way to work off a few calories. The World's Durrie Bouscaren takes us along for a stroll.

As Ghana prepares for a presidential election this weekend, cocoa farmers are listening to hear what the candidates propose to help the troubled sector. Ghana is one of the world's top producer of cocoa beans, but extreme weather and pests are taking a toll on yields. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman visits some cocoa farms and production facilities in eastern Ghana to hear what people there think could help the industry.

Romanian politics was thrown into turmoil on Friday after its constitutional court announced the nullification of the country's presidential election. A runoff election was due to be held on Sunday after a far-right candidate who'd expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin won the first round. His opponent was a law-maker on the center-right. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry explains.

A rebel coalition in Syria took the central city of Hama on Thursday. The city's capture is a strategic and symbolic victory for opposition forces. The rebel coalition that took the city is called Hay'at Tahrir Al Sham, and it's led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with journalist and filmmaker Martin Smith about his 2021 film "The Jihadist," which features Jolani and follows his efforts to rule over a rebel enclave in the northwestern part of Syria.

On Saturday, Notre-Dames de Paris - the iconic Paris landmark - will open its doors with an official ceremony after five years of restoration work. In 2019, the cathedral's bells fell silent after a devastating fire. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Mathieu Lours to hear about what it took to rebuild Notre-Dame. Lours is an architectural historian and the author of the official history of the renovation. The book is called "Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris."

Learnmore Jonasi, from a small village in Zimbabwe, is making a name for himself in the US comedy scene. And yes, his first name really is Learnmore. Carol Hills speaks with the comedian.

After US prosecutors indicted senior Bahamian police officials for trafficking cocaine, opposition lawmakers in the Bahamas have been asking the ruling government questions. When an opposition leader wasn't given time to pose questions to the government, he took the long mace that sits on the house speaker's desk and threw it out the window. Zhivargo Laing explains how the US indictments have ruffled Bahamian politics.

Taylor Swift's worldwide "Eras" tour has grossed more than a billion dollars since it began in March 2023, boosting hotel stays, restaurant visits and Swifty tourism on five continents. As the tour comes to an end this Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia, hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler look at the economic impact of Swift's appearances on the local economies where she performed.

Forty years ago, nearly 30 tons of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The incident exposed more than 570,000 people to toxic chemicals and claimed more than 10,000 lives within three days. Since then, there have been over 22,000 additional deaths related to the disaster. Its effects continue in chronic illnesses, adverse reproductive outcomes and genetic damage among survivors in the community. And four decades on, victims and their relatives are still seeking justice. Host Marco Werman speaks with Mark Dummett of Amnesty International about the deadly legacy of the chemical disaster in Bhopal.