The World: Latest Stories

Over the past two days, Iraq held its first census in nearly four decades. The government has ordered a nationwide curfew in order to carry out the count. Iraq's population is expected to rise to 44 million people. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Hamzeh Hadad, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, about the census and the ethnic and sectarian tensions surrounding it.

Toward the end of September, India achieved a historic victory in chess - winning the gold medal in both men's and women's Chess Olympiad in Budapest - considered the Olympics of chess. This double victory, plus four individual goal medals, has captured the nation's imagination. As Namrata Kolachalam reports, Chennai has become a global hot spot for chess, and professional-level schools and training programs have exploded in towns and cities.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman give updates on a few food stories you might have missed.

Olga Benario was a German woman who worked as a Soviet agent in the 1920s and 1930s. She ended up in Brazil as part of a plot to assassinate the president of that country. Eventually, Benario was killed in a concentration camp in the Holocaust. But as Zoe Sullivan reports, her extraordinary story lives on through her daughter in Brazil.

Whiskey may not be the first drink you associate with the South Coast of California, but as KCLU's Caroline Feraday reports, a master distiller from Scotland is putting Oxnard on the map when it comes to making the spirit.

Doctors say that right now, breathing Delhi's air is like smoking dozens of cigarettes each day as pollution levels have reached 50 times the safe limit, according to the World Health Organization. The dense smog that shrouds the city this time of year takes a toll on residents, both physically and mentally. Reporter Sushmita Pathak is there now; she explains what causes the annual air quality crisis, and what stands in the way of solutions.

San Marino, officially the world's lowest-ranked soccer team, etched their name in history by securing their first-ever away win ... and put themselves within striking distance of entering qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The European Minnows have won just three games in the last 20 years. Host Marco Werman has more.

Since 2017, Jehovah's Witnesses have been designated an extremist organization in Russia - it's unclear why, but the religious group does not believe in war, which observers think may be at least part of the reason. Reporter Levi Bridges explains how a law meant to fight terrorism has been used to jail people for their religious affiliation.

The Biden Administration has agreed to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel landmines, in an effort to slow the steady advance of Russia's troops, especially in the eastern Donbas region. Officials say the new mines are "non-persistent", battery-detonated and don't function after a pre-set period of time. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the repercussions with Patrick Thompson, Amnesty International's Ukraine researcher.

This month, a university student in Iran stripped to her underwear in public as a way to protest the country's strict dress codes. The details of the incident are still not clear, but the authorities promptly arrested her and accused her of suffering from mental illness. They have reportedly admitted her to a psychiatric hospital. This label, however, is not new. Iran has a history of using it against dissidents.

A year ago this month, the Italian government signed a controversial deal with Albania. It would see asylum seekers rescued off the coast of Italy be taken to a detention facility in Albania - not an EU country - to have their asylum claims processed. But as The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports, not a single asylum seeker is staying at the detention facility.

Pope Francis today said he will canonize Carlo Acutis next April, making the late teenager the Catholic Church's first millennial and digital saint. Acutis was a British-born Italian website designer who documented Eucharistic miracles on a website he designed before his death from leukemia in 2006 when he was 15.

Arthur Frommer passed away this week at the age of 95. He gained fame through his seminal work, Europe on $5 a Day", which sold millions of copies and inspired a series of similar titles. Frommer's success eventually helped to popularize international travel for ordinary Americans. Host Marco Werman reports.

An entire fleet of diesel trains that were taken off the tracks in California are being shipped to the megacity of Lima, Peru, where they will be used for a new commuter rail project. The World's transportation correspondent Jeremy Siegel looks at how the unusual move could be transformative for the Peruvian capital.

North Korea has cranked up the volume of its loudspeakers along the border with South Korea. But this time, instead of the usual decipherable propaganda, it's blaring weird and disturbing noises that are upsetting South Korean locals within earshot. Using noise and loudspeakers as methods of coercion goes way back. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Toby Heys, the author of "Sound Pressure: How Speaker Systems Influence, Manipulate and Torture." He's also professor of digital arts at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK.

Work ground to a halt across Greece today as public and private sector workers walked off the job to protest the rising cost of living. Public sector unions are demanding a 10% wage hike and the return of salaries cut during Greece's nearly decade-long financial crisis that began in 2010. Host Marco Werman speaks with Daphne Tolis, a journalist based in Athens.

Global carbon emissions are on track to hit a new record high this year - as they continue to heat the planet, wreak havoc on local ecosystems and fuel more extreme natural disasters. In Baku, Azerbaijan, negotiations are underway on how to fund projects to help countries adapt and survive. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

The Moldovan Orthodox Church is caught between a pro-Russian orientation and a pro-European one. The minority pro-Romanian branch of Moldova's Orthodox Church accused clergy from the rival Moscow-linked branch of the church of campaigning against a referendum asking voters whether they back the government's drive to join the European Union. Katie Toth reports.

In New Zealand, a proposed bill redefining the country's founding agreement with the Indigenous Mori has erupted into political turmoil, with protests all week culminating in a thousands-strong march on the capital of Wellington on Tuesday. Sarah Birnbaum gives the latest on what's happening right now, along with background on the bill itself and the controversy surrounding it.

Forty-five prominent activists in Hong Kong were sentenced to jail for up to 10 years today, sparking criticism from foreign governments and rights groups. Beijing defended the decisions. They were prosecuted under the 2020 national security law for their roles in an unofficial primary election. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

The Brothers Grimm were interested in unearthing German heritage such that the principalities that would later form Germany had a unifying cultural understanding of themselves. Ann Schmiesing has written a new biography of the Brothers Grimm and talks about how they sourced their tales and what they ultimately meant to German-speaking society.

An Australian mining company had its CEO and staff detained in Mali following a tax dispute with the government there. Host Marco Werman speaks with Beverly Ochieng, a senior associate at the Center for International and Strategic Studies' Africa Program, about what drove Mali's government to take a drastic measure and Bamako's strategic maneuvering in the geo-political game.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at the center of a multi-faceted investigation involving documents gathered using secret intelligence methods. One strand of the investigation involves transcripts that appear to have been stolen or copied, tampered with and implanted in two foreign media outlets. Journalist Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem discusses the case with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Rafael Nadal has made an indelible mark on the world of tennis. Today, in Malaga, Spain, the longtime legend stepped onto the court for the final tournament of his professional career. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the legacy he's leaving behind.

In his four-hour visit to Manaus, in northern Brazil, Joe Biden met with Indigenous leaders and committed an additional $50 million to a Brazil-administered fund to protect the Amazon rainforest. As the US braces for major climate policy shifts under Donald Trump, Biden declared that "no-one can reverse" the US clean energy revolution. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

Last week, gymnastics legend Bela Karolyi passed away. He was 82 years old. He trained some of the biggest names in gymnastics at the height of the Cold War, and across the East-West divides. But his legacy is complicated by allegations of an abusive coaching style and his association with Dr. Larry Nassar, whose sexual abuse of women gymnasts surfaced in 2016. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Cristi Munteanu, a senior writer with the Romanian sports news site Golazo.

President Joe Biden will permit Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike inside Russia for the first time. The Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS," are reportedly only authorized for use in the Kursk area. That's where North Korean troops are currently fighting alongside Russians. Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in New York, discusses the possible implications with The World's Carolyn Beeler.

Scientists are continually scoping out the far reaches of space for new planets. Now, they've found at least one - revolving around what's called Barnard star. Jonay Gonzalez Hernandez is a scientist at Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias in Spain, whose team found the new planet, called Barnard b. He speaks with Marco Werman about the find.

As frustration grows with a lack of solutions coming from the COP 29 environment summit, one city in India serves as an example of making change on a local level. In 2013, Ahmedabad became the first city in South Asia to adopt a heat action plan, and although other cities have followed, Ahmedabad stands out as an example of active implementation of new policies. Reporter Sushmita Pathak visited Ahmedabad over the summer, as temperatures soared, to bring us the story.

Some of the most-prominent Russian dissidents and their supporters gathered over the weekend in Berlin. The opposition has a wide range of demands, but this was an opportunity for activists to gather with a common message - an end to Vladimir Putin's reign. The World's Daniel Ofman reports from Berlin.

Some top news stories from around the world that you may have missed.

There's been hope among Myanmar revolutionaries that China would finally give up on the country's military regime. The military is besieged on all sides by guerrilla groups who want to destroy the junta once and for all. But those hopes are dimming as Beijing sends the regime new fighter jets and invites its leader to visit China. As The World's Patrick Winn reports, China's dominant hand in Myanmar is a major threat to the revolution.

In a lightning round of science news: volcanic history on the dark side of the moon, updates for sky-watchers ahead of this weekend's supermoon and Leonid meteor shower and a new finding about cats' tails. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills have more.

There is likely no one among the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who hasn't been touched by war in some way. More than 43,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, and many have been injured and displaced. Most of Gaza itself lies in ruins. Yet among the daily horrors of war, there are moments of joy and resilience. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

According to a new study from the World Health Organization, measles is estimated to have killed 107,500 people in 2023, most of them under the age of five. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler talks with Hanna Nohynek, chief physician at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, who joined us from Helsinki.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek tells Host Carolyn Beeler about Suyanggae, South Korea, an archaeological zone that holds rare and precious relics of the peoples who first arrived there up to 46,000 years ago. He observes that the Stone Age represents nearly 99% of human history, and most of that unrecorded human experience remains unknown.

For decades, Okinawa, Japan, has prided itself as a hotspot for longevity. In 1999, the Japanese islands were listed as one of five blue zones", where people statistically live the longest, often into their 100s. On Okinawa, a strong diet and emphasis on human connection were thought to be some of the biggest contributing factors. But new research suggests the entire concept of blue zones is a myth. Rebecca Rosman examines the data, and visits Okinawa to find what healthy habits can be gleaned from the lifestyle.

A feature film shot before Russia's invasion of Ukraine tells the story of one of the country's most famous national heroes. His name is Oleksa Dovbush. During the 18th century, Dovbush is said to have crossed paths with another hero - to Orthodox Jews. The rabbi credited as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. Reporter Jon Kalish caught up with the American actor who portrays that rabbi in the film.

A lot of the energy consumed in cities comes from commercial and residential buildings. Heating those buildings is a big part of that. In Boston, some of the largest buildings in town will be heated using a surprising source of renewable energy that's already taking hold in Denmark. Craig LeMoult reports from GBH in Boston.

Last night's Latin Grammy Awards were filled with lots of performances, awards and glitter. The World's Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills give some of the highlights.

At a bar, your olive pits end up in the trash. In Spanish olive presses, however, they're collected, dried and sold as a "bio-fuel" for furnaces. In the race for sustainable heat sources, even big companies are getting into this side business. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from La Galera, Spain.

After the rains in Valencia, Spain, came the political storm. It turns out that Valencia's center-right president, Carlos Mazon, is a climate change skeptic who could have acted more quickly to warn citizens and, later, to start clean-up efforts. But until this month, he openly ridiculed the science behind climate change. The World's Gerry Hadden brings us the story of how a lack of buy-in set the stage for evacuation and recovery chaos.

Scientists have discovered the world's largest coral - so big it can be seen from space. The mystery of the spy whale in Norway has been solved. He was a naughty whale who ran away from a Russian military base he was charged with guarding. And the world's largest offshore solar farm is going online. The facility, off China's coast, can provide power for nearly 3 million urban residents.

In South Africa, tiger farms are harvesting the body parts of the big cats for sale on the black market - and they might be the biggest farms of their kind outside of Asia. That's according to a new report from the international animal welfare foundation Four Paws. These body parts are traded illegally and are used in traditional medicine in places like China. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Four Paws' South Africa Director Fiona Miles, who joined the show from Cape Town.

The Al-Hadba minaret was part of the centuries old Great Mosque of al-Nuri when it was destroyed in 2017 by ISIS. Now a multi-year rebuilding effort involving the United Arab Emirates, UNESCO and local Iraqi craftsmen is complete. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Iraqi photojournalist Ali Al-Baroodi about the significance of the restoration and the ongoing efforts to restore Mosul's old city.

A new study has found that private aviation is booming. Experts say these flights often cluster around big international events, including the UN's climate summits. This year's COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, appears to be no exception. The World's transportation correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports on the environmental toll of private jets.

The Biden administration will begin sending US military contractors to Ukraine. This policy reversal was first reported late last week, and signals a shift in US willingness to support Ukraine's military effort. The World's Daniel Ofman reports that the contractors will play a limited, but significant, role on the ground in Ukraine.

Peru is hosting Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders today, including the presidents of Brazil, China and the US. But the meeting will likely be eclipsed by a major event happening tonight in Peru: the inauguration of a huge commercial port built by China, which is expected to become a game changer in the region. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

A wave of misleading videos pushing for Okinawa's independence from mainland Japan is part of a wider disinformation campaign aimed at realigning the islands with China. In a recent investigation, the Nikkei found more than 200 fake accounts spreading misleading videos. Okinawa, which is close to Taiwan, has also been a cornerstone for Japan's regional security since the end of World War II - with more than 70% of US military bases in Japan located in the prefecture. Rebecca Rosman explains the complicated history behind Okinawa's independence movement, as well as the Chinese misinformation campaign fueling it.

An American defense contractor, CACI, whose employees worked as interrogators at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad during the US occupation of Iraq, has been ordered to pay $42 million dollars in damages to three Iraqi plaintiffs over the torture and abuse they suffered while in detention. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Katherine Gallagher of the Center for Constitutional Rights about the case, which took 16 years to litigate.