The World: Latest Stories

Whale song is more similar to human speech than previously thought. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills have the details.

If you can't sing alone, sing along - that's the spirit behind Germany's Rudelsingen, literally wolf pack singing", in which hundreds or even thousands of the tonally challenged singers come together for mass karaoke events. It started as a trend in the 2010s, but now it's a national tradition. Reporter Valerie Hamilton takes us inside the pack for the story.

The NFL wants the eyes of the world on this weekend's Super Bowl. And one place where American football already has traction is Japan, home to one of the top leagues outside of North America. Reproter Kai Dambach checks out that league's championship game, known as the Rice Bowl, to meet the players and learn about the history of football in Japanese society.

In Poland, an herb called rutka was long stigmatized based on a belief that witches used it for poisoning. But now, the all-woman band Polky is out with a new single - "Rutka" - that flips the narrative, making it a statement about empowerment. Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler tell the story.

A Syrian military defector whose photographs made clear the extent to which torture and killing were taking place inside the prisons of the former Assad regime has revealed his identity. The man widely known as "Caesar" is Farid Nada al-Madhan. Host Carol Hills gets the inside story from Mouaz Mustafa, director of the Syrian Emergency Taskforce, who worked closely with Caesar to share his documentation with the world.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has made clear that despite his musings about Gaza this week, "the president has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza." But Americans working for private security companies are already operating in the territory. They've been tasked with guarding a strategic area. The World's Shirin Jaafari discusses what these companies do, and how their arrangements with the US work.

This week, a ceasefire took hold in the city of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now, the grim task of burying some 2,000 bodies begins. The World's Marco Werman spoke to Arlette Bashizi, a photojournalist based in Goma, for the latest news from the ground.

Japan experiences more earthquakes than any country. But its transit system remains remarkably safe. The bullet train, for example, has never seen a death or serious injury due to an earthquake or tsunami. As The World's transportation correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, other countries should take note as climate change causes more natural disasters globally.

With recent cuts to foreign aid, including programs like PEPFAR, thousands of Africans living with HIV face an uncertain future. Although the freeze was followed by an exemption for "life-saving treatments," some programs have ceased operations. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman reports from Accra, Ghana.

Syria's national symphony orchestra performed last week at the Damascus opera house. As hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain, musicians and audiences alike expressed relief that the arts are able to continue under a new government.

In 2021, President Joe Biden appointed Jessica Stern as the US special envoy to advance the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons. She left office last month with the changing of the guard at the White House. In her first interview since leaving the State Department, Stern talks with The World's Bianca Hillier about what she accomplished in the past four years - and the far-reaching impact the Trump administration's anti-LGBTQ policies are likely to have, at home and abroad.

Temperatures rose to unseasonable highs throughout Russia last week. In Moscow, city-dwellers welcomed the reprieve from the cold, casting off their heavy coats and delighting in the sound of singing birds. In more remote parts of the country, though, where people's lives revolve around the expectation of temperatures well below freezing, the warm spell caused real problems, from melting ice roads to spoiling food in outdoor "freezers." Levi Bridges has the story.

This week, President Donald Trump restored his former policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran. But he followed that with online comments signaling a willingness to work toward a nuclear deal. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, about how Iran's position has changed since the previous Trump administration, and what all of this looks like from an Iranian perspective.

High-tech companies, desperate for abundant and green energy, have discovered the windmills of northeast Spain. They're investing billions in data-centers there, transforming the local economy. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Aragon.

President Donald Trump's comments during a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday heightened an already intimidating diplomatic hurdle: maintaining a Gaza ceasefire. Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, tells The World's Marco Werman why talks about phase two of the ceasefire deal are effectively on hold.

Earlier this week, there was an explosion in Moscow. The target was a former Ukrainian citizen who founded a paramilitary unit fighting against his country. The killing, which Ukraine has not taken credit for, is part of a larger trend of Ukraine assassinating adversaries and sending drones deep into Russia. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

Most of our gadgets rely on chips. Electronic chips. But that's about to change. The chips of the future are chips of light. They use light particles known as photons to move data. Europe wants to lead the way in the technolgy. The World's Gerry Hadden takes us to the Spanish town of Castelldefels to check out one of Europe's leading photonics laboratories.

While the human world is dealing with the effects of COVID-19, the frog world is dealing with its own global pandemic. It's called Kit-rid fungus. The World's Sarah Birnbaum explains what it's about, and the danger it poses to a creature the size of a thumbnail.

California lawmakers are proposing steps to protect K-12 students and families from the mass deportations promised by the Trump administration. A pair of bills in the Legislature aim to keep federal agents from detaining undocumented students or their families on or near school property without a warrant. From KQED in San Francisco, Tyche Hendricks reports.

During his two-decade rule, Bashar al-Assad and his officials carried out numerous atrocities, some of which have been documented by human rights groups. Now, as Syria begins a new chapter, the hard task of bringing justice for past crimes begins.

Thailand on Wednesday cut the power to large criminal compounds just across its border with Myanmar. Located in semi-lawless areas, the jungle compounds are notorious for scamming - and raking in billions of dollars. Thai authorities say they're cracking down on these places that kidnap and hold thousands of workers from Thailand and China, to text and call victims around the globe. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

Host Marco Werman brings updates on fighting in Congolese cities and towns, as the rebel group M23 continues taking ground.

Panama has become the first Latin American nation to pull out of China's Belt and Road Initiative. It's also weighing whether to cancel its contract with the Hong Kong-based company that operates near the Panama Canal. Margaret Myers, an adviser to the US Institute for Peace, tells The World's Marco Werman that it's all part of the long rivalry between the US and China in Latin America.

Four feet of snow had fallen on Japan's main northern island as of Tuesday, and more snow is expected through Wednesday. It's caused disruptions for schools, airports, postal services and more. Host Marco Werman brings this update.

In 1848, Ranald MacDonald, the son of a Chinook chief and a Scottish settler, staged a shipwreck near Rishiri Island to gain entry into Japan - then, a closed country under isolationist policies. Despite being briefly imprisoned upon his arrival in Japan, MacDonald ultimately became a highly influential figure in fostering US-Japan relations. Rebecca Rosman brings us the story from Rishiri Island, in Hokkaido.

In his second international visit as interim president of Syria, Ahmed Al-Sharaa met with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to discuss military and economic cooperation. The World's Durrie Bouscaren discusses that developing relationship with The World's Marco Werman.

President Donald Trump's foreign aid freeze is putting US-backed programs across Asia in peril. But the new White House has made an exception for aid to at least one group: the Rohingya. Most live in refugee camps in Bangladesh, having fled a military purge in their native country of Myanmar. US food aid to the Rohingya will continue - for now - with Rohingya refugees currently facing new threats to their survival. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

Musician Seun Kuti is a lot like his late dad, Fela Kuti, with a catalog of songs about injustice and corruption. Seun Kuti's latest album, "Heavier Yet Lays The Crownless Head," returns to those themes, with lyrics calling out rulers and elites for prioritizing things over people.

Only 60 villagers remain in a Spanish town of Libros. The town's name translates to the word "books" in English, and now, a new young mayor thinks the key to the town's salvation is in its name: #librosalibros. The grand vision? A state-of-the-art library to put the town on the literary map. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Libros, in northeastern Spain.

A recent experiment found that bonobos can understand when a human lacks knowledge and will often step in to help a human out. Host Marco Werman spoke with Chris Krupenye, an evolutionary cognitive scientist at Johns Hopkins University, about his involvement in the study and what it tells us about the human-ape relationship.

The communication app WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has said around 90 mobile phones worldwide have been attacked by a spying operation. Host Marco Werman speaks with John Scott-Railton of Citizen Lab about the hack, Meta's response and the continuing threat of sophisticated spyware.

In Norway, the government said this year's salmon fishing season would be the most restricted ever. That's because the wild salmon population is in serious decline. That's partly because of salmon farming, and partly due to climate change. The World's Marco Werman discusses the situation with Knut Wiik Vollset, a member of the Norwegian Scientific Advisory Committee for Atlantic Salmon. He joined the show from the coastal city of Bergen.

The Associated Press is reporting that an increasing number of commercial ships are being abandoned on the ocean. Cases have doubled the past three years. Host Marco Werman speaks with AP reporter Helen Wieffering about this trend and what it means for the maritime industry.

The early journeys of nutmeg, clove and other spices are the subject of the new book "The Spice Ports: Mapping the Origins of Global Sea Trade." Author Nicholas Nugent traces those journeys in conversation with The World's Marco Werman.

US President Donald Trump has threatened new tariffs on the European Union. This comes as relations between the US and the EU are already strained over Trump's threats to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory governed by Denmark. The Danish prime minister has said that's not going to happen, but the response from her fellow EU leaders has been muted. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry explains why.

On the Greek island of Santorini, schools have closed and residents are taking precautions in the aftermath of more than 200 earthquakes over the weekend. The island on the Aegean Sea is a tourist hot spot with millions of visits per year thanks in part to its unique geography. The island's crescent shape formed during one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. The World's Marco Werman gets perspective on the latest earthquake news from seismologist Nikos Theodoulidis, who joined the show from the Institute of Engineering Seismology & Earthquake Engineering in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.

Watching a groundhog emerge from a cozy burrow in early February feels quintessentially American, but the tradition of turning to animals to predict the spring comes from pre-Christian pagan traditions in Europe, from Ireland to Germany. And the ritual is more varied than simple rodent-watching. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

A recap of Grammy winners and nominees from across the globe, some big names and some newcomers to the world stage. Host Marco Werman has more.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she struck a deal to delay tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threatens to fire back with tariffs on goods from the US. From Mexico City, The World's Tibisay Zea reports on how leaders of the US' two North American neighbors are dealing with the new administration's approach to trade.

When German parliamentarians passed a bill to curb immigration last week, they breached a long-standing norm prohibiting compromise with the country's extreme right. Now, protesters are out on the streets calling for a ban on the extremist parties that stand to make big gains in German elections later this month. The World's Marco Werman discusses the situation with Cathryn Cluver Ashbrook, an adviser to the Bertelsmann Foundation, a German think tank.

Ten days into President Donald Trump's administration, the US southern border remains closed to asylum-seekers. About a quarter million migrants who had been waiting in Mexico for US asylum appointments are now caught in limbo, with little options to cross the border legally. The World's Tibisay Zea reports that an increasing number of them are opting to settle in Mexico instead.

Syria's de-facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa was declared the country's transitional president on Wednesday. Yesterday, he addressed Syrians directly and called for justice and elections, following a transitional period. The country's constitution and the Baath Party, which previously dominated politically, were also dissolved. Host Carol Hills speaks with Syrian historian Sami Moubayed, about what this will mean for Syria as it enters this new phase.

In India, not all popcorn is taxed the same. The government has laid out a three-tiered system for taxing popcorn, with caramel popcorn taxed almost like a luxury item. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) runs the Olympic Games. It's been said to be the most influential sports organization in the world and the person at the helm - the president - is often tasked with being part sports official, part diplomat and part head of state. Now, seven candidates are vying for the chance to be the next president. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on how their campaigns are going.

Iconic British singer Marianne Faithfull died yesterday in London. Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler remember Faithfull through some of her music, which evolved over a more than 50-year career.

Even before he was impeached, President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea faced criticism for his alleged connections with spiritual healers known as shamans. The practitioners of an ancient belief system, shamans are often disparaged. But they also hold a special place in Korean culture, even today. The World's Matthew Bell reports from Seoul.

Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems has been releasing hit songs since 2020, recording with top hit makers including Drake, Rihanna and Beyonce. Last year, Tems finally released her debut studio album, "Born in the Wild". It's been nominated for Best Global Music Album at this year's Grammy Awards.

When US Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland visited the United Arab Emirates, he asked if they were shipping weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. Representatives from the UAE insisted they were not, but an assessment by the Biden Administration found that the UAE was indeed sending weapons to the RSF. Senator Van Hollen explains the consequences he plans for the UAE if it doesn't stop, and how the Trump Administration's unclear policy on Sudan has been going so far.

In Russia, the Kremlin has been steadily cracking down on the internet. Surveillance and censorship have increased, especially since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has cut off access to many of the most popular websites and apps. The latest target is YouTube. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

Scientists are concerned about the mutations happening in the H5N1 virus - more commonly known as bird flu. This week, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control warned that new mutations in the virus could allow it to spread more easily to humans. About 70 people are known to have been infected in North America alone. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Seema Lakdawala, co-director of the Center for Transmission of Airborne Pathogens at Emory University. She joined the show from Atlanta, Georgia.