The World: Latest Stories

Fireworks light up the sky on New Year's Eve in much of the world. In the Netherlands, they also leave behind a troubling aftermath. According to a new government report, two people were killed and more than 1,200 injured by fireworks this year. The Dutch government hopes an upcoming ban on consumer fireworks will reduce that toll, but critics question whether it will make a difference. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was in Japan today, where he met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders declared a commitment to work more closely together to help bring stability to the region. One point of major tension in recent weeks is China, which has been locked in a diplomatic dispute with Japan over Taiwan. Another wildcard is US President Donald Trump. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Iranian state TV aired new footage on Tuesday that shows piles of black body bags they say hold the bodies of demonstrators killed while protesting. While the communications blackout continues, some footage of those protests is coming out. Meanwhile, in a post on social media, US President Donald Trump told Iranians to continue protesting and to "take over your institutions." We bring you the latest updates.

Movies on VHS - it's ancient, by modern standards. And yet, from Barcelona to Paris and beyond a handful of shops have managed to keep their doors open. They're peddling, not just films, but nostalgia. They're also projecting films in their own backroom theaters, and at at least one, they'll also rent you a VHS player to be able to watch the tape you take home. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

There's already a lot happening here on Earth in 2026 - as you've heard on The World. If you need a break from it all, consider casting your eyes skyward. This year has a lot of celestial events in store for the stargazers among us. The World's Host Marco Werman learns more from Phil Plait, an astronomer and columnist for Scientific American magazine.

Venezuela's new government says it will free an important number" of political prisoners - a gesture US President Donald Trump is already taking credit for. But only a few dozen have been confirmed released so far, while nearly 800 people are still believed to be behind bars. In Caracas, families are camping outside prisons, searching for loved ones and demanding transparency, as The World explains why the release process has been slow and opaque.

After losing Malawi's general election last fall, former President Lazarus Chakwera took the dogs at the presidential palace home with him to keep. The new president, Peter Mutharika, is now arguing that Chakwera is not allowed to do that because the dogs are civil servants. Their custody dispute has escalated into a legal battle that remains open. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

Arabic music filled the air of Laura Elkeslassy's Moroccan Jewish childhood home in Paris, especially on Fridays before Shabbat. But she didn't grow up speaking Arabic, so she didn't understand the words. In New York as an adult, Laura's search for a wedding song takes her on a rich musical, spiritual and political journey - leading to a bookstore in Jerusalem where she discovers that this work to preserve her culture is a continuation of what her ancestors began.

Palestinians in Gaza are struggling to stay warm and dry as fierce winter storms topple damaged buildings and destroy flimsy plastic shelters. Salma Altaweel, a support manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council, says staying warm and dry is all but impossible. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with the NRC's Shaina Low about how new Israeli restrictions on aid groups are complicating relief efforts.

As President Donald Trump pushes for US control of Greenland, we look at which natural resources the territory has - and what the obstacles are to accessing them. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Patrick Schroder, a senior research fellow at Chatham House in the UK.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Canadian prime minister will fly to China this week. Mark Carney is looking to improve Canada's overall relationship with Beijing, but boosting trade is at the top of his agenda. Carney's government says it's aiming to double non-US exports over the next 10 years. This will be a tricky visit for the prime minister, however, because of the risks that come with moving closer to China. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Europe's night trains have been making a comeback in the last few years, with overnight sleeper services once again linking cities like Paris and Berlin, and Vienna and Amsterdam. But the revival has faced major obstacles, including limited backing from many European governments. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

It's been a week since a US military operation removed Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro from power, and questions continue to swirl about what life in the capital looks like now. We take a look from Caracas at the mood in the streets, new US travel warnings, safety concerns, hurdles to getting in and out of the country and why so many foreign journalists are stuck across the border.

The opposition to Iran's theocratic republic is a fragmented movement, with some of the most visible leaders in exile or in the diaspora. Nahid Siamdoust, an assistant professor of Media and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin discusses the competing visions in Iran's fight for change with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

Protests in Iran have turned deadly, with hundreds feared shot and killed by security forces. The government shut all communications with the outside world, making it difficult to get accurate information from the ground. But a few have been able to get through, using Starlink, a satellite internet network. A doctor living in New York tells The World that protesters have reached out to him for help.

With roots in India and an upbringing in Singapore, singer Dhruv found fame on TikTok, hitting the charts in East Asia. He moved to the US to study at Yale University, but then realized music was really what he wanted to pursue. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler spin Speed of Light," a single from Dhruv's debut album.This story originally aired on Aug. 21, 2024.

Malaysia and Indonesia have moved to block Grok, the AI chatbot feature on the social media platform X, citing concerns that the chatbot is being used to produce sexually explicit images. Many countries are grappling with how to respond to the misuse of AI for the production of exploitive sexual content online - including deep fakes and child pornography. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Nana Nwachukwu, an AI governance expert and researcher at Trinity College Dublin.

Ai, a chimpanzee who spent decades as a research subject at Kyoto University, has died at the age of 49. Ai spent her life participating in studies into the cognition of chimpanzees, and was renowned for her exceptional intellect among her fellow chimps. She knew the English alphabet, Arabic numbers and over a hundred Chinese characters. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the story.

The Iranian government has cut off internet access to citizens as protests across the country reach levels unseen since the Woman, Life, Freedom protests that started in 2022. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Sina Azodi, director of Middle East Studies at George Washington University, where he specializes in US-Iran relations. Azodi joined us from Washington.

Twin mountain gorillas were born in Africa's largest national park, the Virunga, in Democratic Republic of Congo. As Host Carolyn Beeler explains, years of conservation efforts have helped restore the gorillas' dwindling population.

Yoon Jong Gye, widely considered the father of Korean fried chicken, died late last year at the age of 74. Since its creation, the dish has surged in popularity and can now be found in restaurants around the globe. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Kevin Kim, associate director of the Asian American Center at the University of North Carolina, to discuss the distinctive taste and influence of Korean fried chicken.

A coder in Sweden thought it would be funny to see what ChatGPT says when it is stoned, whether on weed, coke or ketamine. So, he created a chatbot plug-in that people are actually paying to use. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

The Syrian army has been fighting Kurdish forces in the city of Aleppo in the north of the country. The clashes are the most intense since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. The army ordered the residents in some neighborhoods to evacuate. On Friday, Syria's defense ministry announced a ceasefire. But as The World's Shirin Jaafari reports, residents say the violence and displacement is bringing back memories of years of civil war.

Billions of gallons of wastewater laced with industrial chemicals pour into the Tijuana River and reach the Pacific Ocean every year. The pollution also seeps into the earth and froths into airborne particles. People on both sides of the US-Mexico border say it is making them sick. Investigative reporter Philip Salata from inewsource in San Diego reports.

From a US military raid that captured Venezuela's president, to threats from the White House to take over Greenland, Europe's leaders have faced a week of escalating challenges from Washington. Leaders across the EU have responded cautiously, with some notable exceptions. But critics warn that restraint could hand the Trump administration exactly the advantage it's seeking. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The European Union signed off on a major new trade agreement with four South American nations on Friday. It's composed of markets with more than 700 million people. But there's still a great deal of skepticism about it among some in Europe, including French farmers. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Experts think it might have been used by Celtic warriors during their ill-fated campaign to repel Roman invaders during the first century. The bronze war trumpet - called a "carnyx" - was discovered during excavations in east England, outside the town of Thetford. Archeologists are thrilled because this fragile metal horn is probably the most complete one ever found anywhere in the world. The carnyx was used to put fear into the hearts of enemy troops. The World's Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Intense snow has blanketed much of Western Europe, forcing thousands of flight cancellations and chaos on major roads and railways. Things could get even worse over the next 24 hours as a new winter storm, named Goretti, makes its way across the UK and the Europe's northwest coast. The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel has the latest.

Desflurane is a common drug used for anesthesia. But it has a surprising link to climate change, because the excess gas is often vented straight into the atmosphere where it is several thousand times more potent than carbon dioxide. As of Jan. 1 of this year, the European Union has restricted desflurane's use. For The Big Fix, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Dr. Jodi Sherman about these connections.

Migration is as old as humanity itself. In today's world, it ebbs and flows as nations change their border policies with the times. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been retracing the global path of the earliest humans on foot for the past 13 years. In that time, he has witnessed a lot of migration in real time. He joins Host Marco Werman to share his observations on how migration's role in the global zeitgeist has changed.

Delcy Rodriguez spent years as part of deposed President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle. Now, she has stepped into the role of Venezuela's de-facto leader as the country faces uncertain times. Long sanctioned abroad, Rodriguez wields unusual influence over the finance sector and ruling party in Venezuela. The World has this profile of Rodriguez, a longtime critic of imperialism, who now needs US support to stay in power.

Cuba's energy sector is feeling the pinch of the departure of the island's longtime ally, deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Mexico has stepped in to supply some oil, but not at levels high enough to replace supplies previously provided by Caracas. Jorge Pinon, who studies Cuba's energy infrastructure at the University of Texas at Austin discusses the implications with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Cubans are watching developments in Venezuela with growing unease. Fuel shortages are worsening the island's already severe economic woes. Ed Augustine, an independent journalist based in Havana speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about increasing blackouts, long lines for fuel and the stress of everyday life in Havana.

Build Your Dreams (BYD) had a dream year in 2025, with nearly 2.3 million EV sales globally. It left Tesla in the proverbial dust, especially in Europe. BYD's secret: a wider range of EVs, cutting-edge technology and billions of dollars in government support. As for Tesla? Many drivers in Europe have been turned off by its founder, Elon Musk. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

There is a lot of exciting action at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament in Morocco at the moment. One of the most attention-getting moments has not been on the pitch but in the stands: a super-fan for the national team from Democratic Republic of Congo, who everyone knows simply as "Lumumba" because of his resemblance to DR Congo's first prime minister, the revered pan-Africanist Patrice Lumumba.

In international waters, 200 miles off the coast of Argentina, squid fishing is on the rise, and it's mostly being carried out by Chinese fishing crews. The scale of those operations poses serious threats to the coastal ecosystem, but because this is happening in international waters, the Argentine coast guard can do nothing but watch. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Ian Urbina, journalist and founder of The Outlaw Ocean Project.

"There's no place like home." But knowing exactly where that is can be complicated. That's something Chris Ko experienced firsthand, as a kid, moving from Guatemala to Texas to Taiwan. He takes listeners on that journey with him for GBH's storytelling series, Stories From The Stage.

The framework for international law since World War II is no longer just being eroded at the margins. It's being cast aside altogether, deliberately and repeatedly. So says Michael Schmitt, a professor of international law at the University of Reading and professor emeritus at the US Naval War College. Schmitt tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that without adherence to the rules of the game, global chaos could ensue.

The White House is talking - again - about acquiring Greenland. US President Donald Trump's team says it's looking at all options - and that military force isn't off the table. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to people in Greenland to hear how the news is being received there.

For about 10 days, protesters across Iran have come out in the streets to call for the downfall of the government. The protests started when merchants in the capital, Tehran, took to the streets over the swift devaluation of the country's currency. But the demonstrations quickly spread to other parts of the country. The World looks into the significance of these events.

When Kelechukwu Ogu took his first international flight out of Lagos, Nigeria, in 2023, he did not know that people with visual impairment are often offered something they don't need: a wheelchair. In the US, he decided to talk to fellow blind travelers to find out how they feel about that misguided "accommodation." This is his story.

Militias are patrolling the streets of Venezuela. Independent journalists have been detained. It's all part of a crackdown signaling the country's authoritarian leaders are not relinquishing power, despite the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Elizabeth Dickinson, Latin America Deputy Director for the International Crisis Group in Bogota, Colombia, speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about the implications.

Each year, the venerable National Geographic puts out different lists of trends. Host's Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler look at the 11 biggest food trends expected around the world for this year.

The Israeli foreign minister visited Somaliland today. This, after Israel became the first nation to officially recognize the segment of Somalia as a country in December. Omar Mahmood, of the International Crisis Group, discusses the recognition and its strategic importance with Host Marco Werman.

Colombia's remote La Guajira region has become a focal point for global efforts to move away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. Given its high wind speeds and solar radiation levels, the region has been long sought after by energy companies. Natalie Skowlund reports from La Guajira.

The goal is to vaccinate at least 100 million children in Nigeria. So far, more than about 50 million doses of the yellow fever vaccine have been administered. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the program with Chizoba Wonodi, a Nigerian health expert at Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health. Wonodi and her team supported the campaign on the ground in Nigeria.

A team of archaeologists in Africa has discovered evidence of the oldest known cremation of a human being on the continent. The site in northern Malawi dates back over 9,000 years, and includes dozens of bone fragments caked in layers of ash. Jessica Thompson, an anthropologist at Yale University, worked on the excavation project, and shared the significance of the findings with Host Marco Werman.

In January 2025, garbage workers - called bin workers in the UK - began taking industrial action in the city of Birmingham. In March, an all-out strike kicked off. Since then, tens of thousands of tons of garbage have piled up on the streets, attracting vermin. Pest control businesses in Birmingham say this has been their busiest year on record. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry has the story.

Representatives from more than 30 countries met in Paris today, calling themselves the "coalition of the willing." The goal was to make concrete plans for Ukrainian security. French and German leaders each pledged to provide troops as part of a multi-national force to provide assurances for a desired ceasefire. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman catch you up on headlines in the news you may have missed.