The World: Latest Stories

Sheds - wooden buildings at the bottom of gardens - are important to British culture, or at least to many men of a certain age in the country. But now, sheds are playing a far greater role in the UK - bringing older men together to help soothe loneliness. Jamie Fullerton reports from Oxfordshire, England.

Israeli lawmakers overwhelmingly passed legislation on Monday to ban the United Nations' relief agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA. US officials are urging Israel's government to hold off on implementing the legislation because they say it will mean "catastrophe" for millions of Palestinians. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

European auto giant Volkswagen has plans that may include closing some of its manufacturing plants in Germany. The controversial decision could lead to tens of thousands of layoffs. Host Marco Werman speaks with Marie Sina, business reporter for German broadcaster DW News.

Today, India inaugurated its first private military aircraft plant. Established in partnership with Airbus Spain, the plant is part of the country's long-term goal of reducing its reliance on foreign defense manufacturing. India has been the world's top arms importer in recent years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Host Marco Werman spoke to Gunjan Singh, an associate professor at Jindal Global Law School in Sonipat, India, to learn more.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, all the stuff people ordered online - from stationary bikes to toilet paper - drove up demand for delivery services, which required more drivers, many of them, immigrants. And that gave rise to a new kind of business, on the other side of the globe. Call centers, in Central Asia, providing remote help to truckers in the US, as they zig-zag their way across the country. Levi Bridges reports from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Pakistan is experiencing a resurgence of polio cases in recent weeks. It's prompted the government to launch a mass vaccination campaign across several districts. Around 45 million children are expected to be vaccinated in the coming days. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Dr. Rana Jawad Asghar, a Pakistani epidemiologist, about Pakistan's struggles with polio.

Many of the apple pickers working each fall in the Champlain Valley's apple orchards are from Jamaica. The workers are well-known in the town of Peru in New York State, where hundreds of Jamaicans work on special visas. North Country Public Radio's David Escobar traveled to an orchard to learn more about the men behind the North Country's harvest.

Africa is barely mentioned on the campaign trail in the race for the US president. That, despite the major war raging in Sudan and the key role the continent plays in counter-terrorism, climate change and immigration. Center for Strategic and International Studies senior fellow Cameron Hudson talks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about how the Harris or Trump administration might approach relations with African nations.

When Nobuko Oshiro decided to take up karate lessons in her late 20s, no one in her dojo would have thought they were looking at a future karate legend. But that's exactly what she's become - the highest-ranking woman practicing karate on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Rebecca Rosman has this profile.

The Republic of Georgia, located in the center of the Caucasus, with Russia on its northern border, is a polarized nation. Over the weekend, Georgians went to the polls to vote in parliamentary elections. The result: a contested election, which could plunge the country into a political crisis. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

In London, a wall stretching along the River Thames has become something of a pilgrimage site, not for people who practice a certain religion, but for those sharing a particular kind of grief. Reporter Leo Hornak visited the COVID Memorial Wall, and found a piece of art, still very much a work in progress.

After Israel's strike on Iran on Saturday, it was not immediately clear what the Israeli military had hit, and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei downplayed the impact. Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert and professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies talks about what damage was documented in satellite images of Iran.

More than a dozen researchers collaborated on a report for Lancet that deems gambling as a public health threat on the same level as alcohol and tobacco. Manoj Sharma is a professor of social and behavioral health at the University of Nevada who worked on the Lancet's commission and explains the findings. He speaks with host Carolyn Beeler.

Major League Baseball is known for having athletes from all across the globe. In 2024, 28% of all players in the league were born outside the States. A big chunk of them are from the Dominican Republic, while others hail from Venezuela, the Bahamas, and Japan. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on those players ahead of Friday's first game in the World Series.

On Friday, the Bram Stoker Festival kicks off in Dublin to celebrate the Irish author's literary and cultural impact. This year, it highlights a long-lost horror story by the writer who brought the world Dracula." The recently uncovered Gibbet Hill," a short tale of horror, will be read publicly at the festival on Saturday. Host Carol Hills speaks with Stoker enthusiast Brian Cleary who discovered the 130-year-old story.

The group Monsieur Perine was inspired by the natural beauty of Colombia's Pacific coast. So, they wanted to recognize their government's commitment to preserving the country's coastal communities. This after decades of increased flooding and erosion brought on by climate change. Not to mention the damage done by illegal mining and deforestation. We hear their tune, "Jardin Del Paraiso."

A kiss has been a signal of special affection across continents and cultures for millennia. But there's long been debate over how the practice started. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with professor Adriano Lameira at the University of Warwick in the UK, whose research with apes indicates a strong connection between kissing and primate grooming behavior.

Canada is set to reduce immigration levels following a major policy reversal by the country's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The new policy was announced Thursday and comes as Prime Minister Trudeau's poll numbers are declining amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments. Host Carol Hills speaks with Thomas Soehl, an associate professor at McGill University, about the factors behind Trudeau's decision to reverse his previous policy.

Weeks before the US presidential elections, the fear of a second Donald Trump presidency has compelled thousands to hasten their pace to cross the Rio Grande as quickly as possible. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills look at Italy's embrace of old fascists, Israeli reservist soldiers refusal to fight and an extended prison sentence for a longtime Iranian activist.

This week, authorities in Nigeria released Tigran Gambaryan from detention. He's an American citizen, and the head of financial crime compliance for the crypto-currency firm Binance. Both Gambaryan and Binance were accused of laundering tens of millions of dollars through its platform. Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Beginning in June 2025, it will be illegal to sell disposable vapes in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to follow suit. The move is to protect young people's health in Britain and to reduce the waste of throwaway vapes. Marco Werman speaks with Hazel Cheeseman, the chief executive of the British charity, Action on Smoking and Health, about how the public health community is trying to preserve vaping as a smoking cessation tool while recognizing its hazards for young people.

After apologizing for posting "false information" and promising to stop posting anything that "hurts the leaders and the nation," journalist Mech Dara was released on Thursday from prison. Dara made a name for himself exposing the proliferation of human trafficking and online scam operations in Cambodia. The government said it's committed to freedom of the press, but has a duty to stop fake news. Leila Goldstein reports.Additional reporting and translation by Kong Sreyrath.

Saturday's election in the country of Georgia is framed as a decision to keep moving closer to Europe, or to step closer into Russia's influence. The ruling party says its platform is a choice between peace, or getting sucked into the war in Ukraine. Marco Werman speaks with Ana Jegnaradze, a journalist and filmmaker in Georgia who has been keeping track of the run-up to this election.

Portugal is a popular destination for young foreign workers, particularly US expats with its tax incentives, lower rental prices and good weather. For young Portuguese though, it's a different story. According to The Emigration Observatory, around 30% of Portuguese 15- to 39-year-olds are currently living abroad, with many leaving for better jobs and higher wages. The Portuguese government has proposed a multimillion-dollar tax scheme to try and stem the flow of emigration abroad. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Five people were killed and 22 injured when two gunmen opened fire at Turkey's state-run aerospace company. The Turkish government has blamed the PKK and retaliated overnight with airstrikes in northern Syria and Iraq, killing 59. No group has claimed responsibility. What does this mean for the possibility of ceasefire talks between Turkey and the PKK? The World reports.

This week, the Pacific island nation of Samoa is playing host to this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Fifty-six member countries are discussing topics like global economics, the environment and security challenges." One thing that isn't up for discussion: reparations for countries affected by the Atlantic slave trade - at least if the United Kingdom has its way. Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Alan Lester, who has been following these tensions. Lester is a professor of historical geography at University of Sussex in the UK.

Syria's regional position is being tested right now as Israel continues to hit what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets in that country. Host Marco Werman speaks with Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about the Syrian government's unwillingness to get dragged into the fight between Israel and its regional allies.

A new law meant to lower sentences for some crimes will inadvertently set free some of Spain's most notorious ETA members in jail for murder. The Basque independence group killed about 800 people over 40 years before renouncing its arms. Conservatives in Spain's parliament say they didn't catch the clause in the bill before it was voted into law last week and have accused the Socialist government of trickery. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona that the new law states that time served abroad will count toward these prisoners' release.

The Japanese government sees the next several years as the country's last chance to reverse a worrisome decline in the birth rate. Last year saw record low births in the country. And Japan is already the home to the oldest population on Earth. To tackle the demographic shift, Japan is boosting spending on child care and education, increasing cash benefits for having kids and increasing access to preschool. The World's co-host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Japanese women in their 20s and 30s who have had kids, and those who've decided not to.

After a long day working in front of a computer, it can be all too easy to fall onto the couch and stay there. But people in the Netherlands say that's actually the perfect time to go outside and go "uitwaaien." The World's Bianca Hillier has the story, which first aired on the program last December.

At a particular pizzeria in Dusseldorf, Germany, "number 40" came with a extra kick: cocaine. The special order was first noticed by food inspectors. Later, police found the manager with pounds of cocaine and hundreds of thousand of dollars in cash. This week, they busted an entire drug ring in western Germany. Marco Werman has more.

South Sudan is facing one of its worst flood seasons in decades at the same time as it's struggling to host more than a half million war refugees from the civil war in neighboring Sudan. Dr. Mohammed Bashir of Doctors Without Borders is in Twic County near the border separating the two countries. He describes for The World's Carolyn Beeler what he's been seeing.

On Monday, unrest broke out in Mozambique over results of an Oct 9 election, set to be announced later this week. The World's Sarah Birnbaum explains what's at stake in these tabulations, after observers have found counting irregularities, and reported tactics like vote buying and voter intimidation.

The situation in northern Gaza continues to deteriorate as Israel's military battles Hamas fighters in the Jabalia Refugee Camp. This comes as a plan is being floated through Israel's government and military to lay siege to the area and force Palestinian residents - already facing dire circumstances - out. The US has made clear it's opposed to this plan, and Israel's government has said it will not carry it out. Host Marco Werman speaks with Amir Tibon, an Israeli journalist and author of a new book called "The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival and Hope."

This week in Colombia, nearly 200 countries are gathered for COP16 to discuss ways of conserving biodiversity on the planet. The slogan of the COP16 is Peace with Nature," but the impact of humanity's relationship with nature has not been so serene: According to United Nations Environmental Programme, the Earth is experiencing "its largest loss of life since the dinosaurs," and much can be attributed to human activity. Host Marco Werman spoke to ecologist Tom Oliver, who has been following the event. He's a professor of applied ecology at University of Reading in the UK.

Ukrainian children's books are explaining difficult topics to young readers: war, parents away from home fighting in the war, and even death. The books are encouraging children to engage and reflect on their personal circumstances. As Lydia Tomkiw reports, after decades under Soviet rule, Ukrainians are excited to finally have books for kids in their own language helping them to deal with the war.

Earlier this month, a hyperlocal news agency covering the Baloch-speaking regions between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan reported the killings of approximately 230 people by Iranian border patrol. The Iranian government denies the deaths. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports with producer Sima Ghadirzadeh.

More than 2 billion years before the dinosaur-destroying meteorite, a meteorite the size of four Mt. Everests, known as S-2, crashed into Earth, creating a planetwide tsunami that actually had a positive impact on future life. Carolyn Beeler speaks with Nadja Drabon, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University and the lead author of a new study about the S-2 meteorite in the journal, "The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

Russia is hosting the BRICS summit on Tuesday, drawing together some three dozen countries including powerhouses India and South Africa, whose governments struggle to retain a balance between Eastern and Western influence, scrupulously avoiding taking sides over Ukraine. Host Marco Werman speaks with Sanusha Naidu, a senior research associate at the Institute for Global Dialogue in South Africa, who says East-West polarization is less of an issue for BRICS nations than their own sovereignty.

The war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has led to the world's worst hunger crisis. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, tells The World's Carolyn Beeler the scale of the conflict is beyond what our minds can conceive.

In the US, the city of Salem is synonymous with witch hunts. But what happened in Salem is a short chapter in a long story of witch hunts, a history that began in Europe. In the Netherlands, where a Dutch politician was recently the victim of an online campaign accusing her of witchcraft, there's a new effort to raise public awareness around the dark history behind these characterizations. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler look at the latest news out of Ukraine.

A decade ago, Hinds had it all: fame at home in Spain, a tight-knit band cranking out adorable garage-band hits and a world tour. But fame took its toll. Half the band quit, leaving Carlotta Casials and Ana Perrote without their rhythm section, a manager or a label. Then the pandemic hit. But as The World's Gerry Hadden tells us, the two hung in and their comeback record record, "Viva Hinds!" is punchy, fun and varied.

To his supporters, Fethullah Gulen was a builder of schools and a religious cleric with a moderate, tolerant vision of Islam. To the Turkish government, he was a shadowy cult leader and mastermind behind a bloody coup attempt in 2016. He died Sunday night at the age of 83.

The New York Liberty came from behind Sunday night to beat the Minnesota Lynx in overtime for the 2024 WNBA Championship. Basketball is a team sport, but one player stood out in New York's quest for victory. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the MVP's international roots.

It's been days since Cuba's nationwide blackout first started, though there have been brief interludes where parts of the island have regained power. Officials say they're working on it, but the roots of the crisis are in a power system that's long been undependable. Emily Morris, a senior research fellow at the University College London's Institute of the Americas, who visits Cuba and focuses on its economy, explains the origins of the crisis and where it's headed.

In northern Mexico, an Indigenous group from the remote mountains of Chihuahua have been running long distances to cope with scarcity and isolation. The Tarahumara have traditionally run in sandals, and some of its fastest runners have become marathon and ultra-marathon champions, while inspiring a barefoot trend around the world. But a new generation of Tarahumara runners are finding it more comfortable to run in tennis shoes. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Ciudad Juarez, where some Indigenous runners are fighting marathon organizers against what they consider discriminatory rules.

In this look at things you might have missed in the news, hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman look at a new three-minute hug limit at an airport in New Zealand. There were lots of hugs on Sunday when the White Ferns - the New Zealand women's cricket team - won the T20 World Cup. And our hosts stay in the Southern Hemisphere to explain why Britain's King Charles was heckled in the Australian parliament.

As vice president, Kamala Harris' Mideast policy proposals have generally tracked President Joe Biden's. But if she inherits the conflict in January, she'd be free to pursue different goals. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Halie Soifer about Harris' approach to the Mideast. Soifer served as national security adviser to Sen. Kamala Harris. She now heads the Jewish Democratic Council of America.