The World: Latest Stories

Ukrainian civilians, under relentless Russian bombing, are fleeing the key logistics and transit hub of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian journalist Volodymyr Solohub just returned from the town. He explains to The World's Marco Werman why the fall of Pokrovsk might jeopardize Ukrainian control of the entire Donetsk region.

Ireland's housing crisis is on a level far beyond that of many other developed countries, including that of neighboring Britain, the US or Canada. That's the conclusion of a recent study comparing the housing situation in Ireland with seven other nations. Two-thirds of Irish people are still living with their parents into their mid-30s because they cannot afford to buy or to rent. And yet the Irish economy is considered one of the strongest in the European Union. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more.

Deteriorating infrastructure in Cuba has led to major losses of freshwater through leaking pipes, and the state is struggling to compensate for the problems. Citizens are taking to the streets to demand basic access to fresh water. Farah Nibbs, an assistant professor of emergency and disaster health systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, explains the many layers behind this problem.

On Monday, a report by South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission found evidence of forced adoptions to foreign families in Western countries including the US and Denmark. The report found human rights abuses including enslavement, rape and deaths inside facilities from which children were adopted. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Boon Young-han, a South Korean adoptee who is co-founder of the Danish Korean Rights Group and is now based in Seoul, South Korea.

Riots targeted Syrian homes and businesses in the central Turkish town of Kayseri this summer, leaving the city's refugee community fearful and isolated. In the aftermath, a quiet wave of deportations went almost unnoticed. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports

After 11 days of competition, the 2024 Paralympic Games have come to a close. The World's Bianca Hillier has been covering the Games for us and share the latest disappointments and celebrations with host Marco Werman.

A fearless writer and poet during the apartheid era in South Africa has died. James Matthew was 95 years old, and was the last of a generation of black writers who used words to help topple an unjust system. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports on his legacy.

In September 1974, television viewers around the world watched news footage from Boston of angry white residents throwing rocks and bottles at yellow school buses. Black students were being bused from their neighborhoods to South Boston High School under a court-ordered desegregation plan. But across town, another story was playing out in the shadows: Chinese students were also being bused across the city to attend segregated classrooms. GBH's Phillip Martin has the story.

The NFL is a uniquely American sports league. But that hasn't stopped it from trying to expand globally. It's held games in Europe and Mexico previously and, this year, it will hold a game in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the very first time. Host Carol Hills speaks with Lisa Delpy Neirotti, a professor of sports management and marketing at George Washington University, about the motivations pushing American sports leagues to expand beyond US borders.

When musician Keturah left Monza, a remote village in Malawi, she was just 14-years-old. She was a young teen with the big dream of recording a song. It's a musical origin story not unlike that other young prodigy who is now the biggest musician on the planet: Taylor Swift. But this is Keturah's story.

Tiny Easdale Island in Scotland - population: 62 - is hosting its annual World Stone Skimming Championship, in which hundreds of participants from around the globe compete. Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler explain the rules for Saturday's contest, which include the requirement that your skimming stones come from the island, home of an abandoned slate quarry that is now flooded, where the event takes place.

A man in the south of France is now on trial for drugging his wife and then inviting dozens of men to rape her, over the course of nearly a decade. The case has shocked France and renewed calls for the country to redefine rape as sex without consent rather than intercourse committed by "violence, coercion, threat or surprise." Carolyn Beeler speaks to Anne-Cecile Mailfert, president of Fondation Des Femmes, the Women's Foundation, which raises funds to support groups specializing in women's rights and fighting violence against women.

Earlier this summer at the Paris Olympics, Novak Djokovic and Zheng Qinwen took home gold medals in the tennis singles competition. But both of the newly minted Olympic champions are now out of the running at the US Open in New York. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the final Grand Slam of 2024.

The Israeli military has carried out intense operations in the occupied West Bank over the past 10 days. It has launched air and ground attacks, leaving a trail of destruction. The military says it going after militants. It says it has found weapons storage locations and dismantled explosives in the area. Palestinians say Israeli forces have killed at least 40 people, including a 16-year-old girl and an American activist. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Balneario Camboriu is a city in southern Brazil that likes to boast of having the biggest and the best. It's known as Brazil's "Dubai" for the rows of sky scrapers that line its beachfront. It's home to the three tallest buildings in Brazil, which are also on the list of the top five tallest buildings in Latin America. It also has the most expensive real estate by average square feet in Brazil.

The Dachstein glacier in Austria is nearly 9,000 feet high. But scientists say that it's likely to melt completely by the end of this century. An artist from Cleveland, Ohio, was commissioned to create a work of art that would give the glacier a voice, with a warning about the impacts of climate change. Reporter Jamie Fullerton has the story.

Spain is one place where the need for workers is high - 24 million by 2050, according to the country's central bank. But the backlash against a record number of migrants arriving clandestinely is also up. Spain's prime minister has been visiting West African nations to shore up the fight against human smugglers, and trying to spread the recent arrivals around Spain equally, sometimes causing consternation. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Around the world, people visit butterfly exhibits and museums to learn about the important role these insects play in the environment. But where do these butterflies come from? Near the Arabuko-Sokoke forest along Kenya's coast, farmers are breeding butterflies for export abroad. They say it's helping to conserve their environment. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports from Kilifi County.

Volvo and Volkswagen are making big changes to their business models and it's got a lot to do with the fluctuating nature of electric vehicle demands. Europe and Asia are much further ahead compared to the US when it comes to both demand and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Host Marco Werman speaks with Felix Hamer, an EV charging consultant, about the demands and infrastructure for EVs, as well as the adjustment automakers are making right now.

A collection of 1,984 copies of George Orwell's dystopian novel "1984" is currently on tour around Europe. When the tour ends, though, organizers hope the collection finds a permanent home on the Scottish island of Jura, where Orwell lived. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the details.

From a young age, Pretu recognized injustice by the way his mother was treated - a Black woman originally from Cape Verde, cleaning and cooking for wealthy families in Portugal. Despite his mom's long working hours, Pretu says she took the time to teach some important lessons about respecting women. The World's April Peavey tells us more.

In China's southern province of Yunnan, a community of people known as the Bai express themselves mostly by singing. And they have a song for everything: from history lessons to mourning to flirting. Host Marco Werman speaks with National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek, who also discusses the early 20th century Austrian American botanist and explorer, Joseph Rock, who traveled through this same region of western China.

The Biden administration is taking new steps against what it describes as a Russian disinformation campaign targeting the 2024 US presidential election. On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced the indictment of two state media employees at the broadcaster Russia Today for their alleged involvement. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Garrett Graff, director of cyber initiatives at the Aspen Institute.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds for decades. They've fought multiple wars since the waning days of the Soviet Union. Despite this fraught relationship, the two countries are engaged in peace talks. In Armenia, though, many people are not happy with how things are going. The World's Daniel Ofman reports from the capital Yerevan, that a clergyman has become the face of the Armenian opposition.

Mummies are huge draws in museums around the world, both as historical objects and as curiosities. But it's becoming controversial whether museums should display human remains. With ancient Egyptians long gone, who should decide? Last winter, The World's Sarah Birnbaum visited a museum in Sydney, Australia, that is wrestling the issue.This story originally aired on Feb. 20, 2024.

Today, the athletics community across East Africa is mourning the death of 33-year-old Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei. She had been fighting for her life after reportedly being doused in petrol by her partner. For many, it's drawing similarities to other acts of violence against female athletes in Kenya, and stirring up anger about the state of femicide in the country. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports from Nairobi.

Oksana Masters has 18 Paralympic medals to her name. She's one of the rare athletes who competes in both the Summer and Winter Games. Now, battling for gold in Paris, she's fueled by more than just a spot on top of the podium. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

A bronze statue of Diana of Versailles, the Roman goddess also known as Artemis, set sail on the Titanic in 1912. Recent expeditions had not turned up evidence of its whereabouts or condition, but images released this week show it's still there, albeit half-buried. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain.

Incompetence, dishonesty and greed led to the deaths of 72 people in the Grenfell tower fire in the UK, a report into the 2017 tragedy concluded today. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a state apology to the families of those who died in the blaze and the survivors. The inquiry concluded that all the deaths were avoidable and pointed the finger of blame at several manufacturers as well as successive British governments. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry spoke to Host Marco Werman.

People on the mountainous Canary island of La Gomera are embracing a centuries-old language used to communicate across long distances: whistling. Before the internet, phones and even modern roads, Gomerians had no way of getting news quickly to villages on the far sides of enormous ravines and valleys. "Pirates!" "Fire!" "We need a doctor!" The piercing sounds of whistling are now a mandatory part of public education on the island. The World's Gerry Hadden reported this story from La Gomera last fall.This story originally aired on Nov. 30, 2023.

The Finnish government is proposing a ban that would prevent most Russian citizens from buying property in the Nordic country. Finland's defense minister said it's an issue of national security. Relations between Helsinki and Moscow have been fraught since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which prompted Helsinki to join the NATO military alliance after decades of non-alignment. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Katarzyna Zysk, a professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies and a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

The Pope has been in Jakarta, Indonesia, the past two days to start his trip through Southeast Asia. He also plans on visiting Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore over the next 10 days. Elise Allen, a senior correspondent with the Crux news website, speaks with Host Carolyn Beeler about the Pope's mission and message on his tour.

After more than a year of damning revelations of alleged financial crimes, Riad Salameh, the head of Lebanon's central bank, has been arrested. Alia Ibrahim, the co-founder of the online news site Daraj, speaks to The World's Host Marco Werman about what transpired.

The UK is about to close its last coal-fired power plant, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottingham, making Britain the first G7 country to stop using coal to generate electricity. Host Carolyn Beeler marks the occasion with a brief history of the UK's efforts to end its reliance on coal.

Three German states held elections this past weekend, and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made big gains. In the state of Thuringia, Bjorn Hocke, the AfD's top candidate, has been on the campaign trail while also being in court on charges of using Nazi slogans. Even so, the AfD got more than 30% of the vote - and could take its first state government. Rebecca Collard reports from Erfurt, Germany.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and especially since the Kremlin's mobilization announcement in September 2022, hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens have left the country. According to some estimates, more than 100,000 Russian citizens fled to Armenia alone. This reality has led to some changes within Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The World's Daniel Ofman reports from Yerevan about the experience of Russians now living in exile.

Both major US presidential candidates now say they oppose the proposed takeover of US Steel by Nippon Steel of Japan. But the CEO of US Steel and a majority of the company's shareholders are in favor of the sale. Host Carolyn Beeler gets beyond the political rhetoric and into the heart of the issue with professor Willy Shih of the Harvard Business School.

A military partnership between Egypt and Somalia has Ethiopia alarmed. That's because the partnership calls for thousands of Egyptian troops in Ethiopia to join an African Union force stationed there. It also comes as there are renewed tensions in response to Ethiopia damming a tributary of the Nile. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with William Davison, owner of the website Ethiopia Insight, about the new military partnership and why it's causing alarm in Ethiopia.

Unrest has been spreading across Israel since six hostages were found dead in a Gaza tunnel last weekend. A one-day general strike on Monday was unevenly observed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to yield to pressure on his conditions for a ceasefire. Yossi Klein Halevi, the author of "Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor," talks with The World's Host Marco Werman about what this moment means for Israelis.

The United States seized a private plane in the Dominican Republic that was purchased from the US. The plane belonged to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. It was the latest move to put pressure on Maduro after exit polling showed that he lost the latest presidential election, which he insists he won, continuing to cling to power.

With the summer winding down, European airlines are ramping up efforts to encourage passengers to keep taking to the skies. The Hungarian airline Wizz Air, for example, has just launched an All You Can Fly scheme, offering unlimited flights for a yearly subscription. Other flight carriers are holding flash winter sales. But climate activists say promotions like these are irresponsible and governments need to put an end to them. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more.

An online story about a hot new singles scene in a Spanish supermarket chain has exploded into a flirting frenzy in grocery stores across the country. Each chain allegedly has its designated hour for making the moves, and it depends a lot on which items are in your cart. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona on this online rumor that's become very real.

London is set to have its first memorial to the role of the transatlantic slave trade in building the wealth, power and prestige of Britain. The mayor's office recently announced the design of a long-awaited monument, which will take the form of a giant bronze cowrie shell. The World's Sarah Birnbaum has the story of the new monument's significance.

Thor Pedersen, a former UN soldier originally from Denmark, went on a decadelong adventure that took him to every country in the world. The trick - he never took an airplane. By train, bus, boat and other forms of transport, he covered over 220,000 miles. He spoke with host Carol Hills this summer when he returned home to Copenhagen. (Originally aired Aug. 4, 2023.)

Research shows that flight turbulence has increased as climate change has warmed the planet. Host Marco Werman speaks with Paul Williams, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading, UK, about the findings, based on more than four decades of data, that suggest the increase in bumpy flights could be caused by changes in wind speed at high altitudes due to warmer air from carbon emissions. (Originally aired June 14, 2023.)

It's not unusual to wait two or three hours to cross the border from Tijuana to San Diego. But drivers usually didn't have to wait long to go the other way, easing the commute. Gustavo Solis of KPBS in San Diego reports that the growth in border towns now means rush hours in both directions. (Originally aired Jan. 3, 2024.)

Tires are a major source of pollution. The tiny particulates left behind when the rubber meets the road create a fine dust of microplastics. And with more electric vehicles on the roadway, weighted down by heavy batteries, tires will leave behind even more toxic residue. Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, the CEO of UK-based tire startup Enso, talks with host Marco Werman about what the tire industry can do about it. (Originally aired May 18. 2023.)

Prada and the company Axiom Space are teaming up to design the spacesuits for NASA's Artemis 3's moon mission in 2025. It might sound like a weird partnership. But as The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports, the back-and-forth between fashion and aerospace goes back years. (Originally aired October 23, 2023.)

US consumers have plenty of reasons to snap up electric vehicles. They are helping the US meet its climate goals, and new owners may qualify for a tax credit. But some of those old cars end up on Africa's roads. From Accra, the capital of Ghana, Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman reports that these vehicles provide vital transportation in poor countries, but they are polluting and unsafe. (Originally aired May 11, 2023.)

On New Year's Day, 2024, a collision on a runway in Japan was described as nothing short of a miracle when all 379 passengers aboard a commercial jet in flames were evacuated. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ed Galea, director of the fire safety group at the University of Greenwich in the UK, about how crew - and passenger - preparedness allowed for the speedy evacuation. (Originally aired Jan. 3, 2024)