The World: Latest Stories

Voters in Mexico go to the polls on Sunday, and the country could get its first female president. No matter who wins, though, residents of Tijuana will be watching what the new president does about one specific issue: the environmental problems plaguing their city, on the US-Mexico border. Gustavo Solis of KPBS in San Diego has the story.

GPS isn't just for finding your way while hiking. Clocks synchronized to GPS also keep lots of industrial systems going. A Cisco engineer dreamed up a special switch the size of a pizza box that allows Ukraine to keep the lights on even when Russia jams GPS signals, and that's allowing Ukraine to keep plants running. From the podcast "Click Here," Dina Temple-Raston explains.

ExxonMobil, Hess and Chevron are haggling over their stakes in Guyana's $150 billion-plus offshore oil project. The tiny South American country finds itself the apple of Big Oil's eye as it is now home to the biggest oil discovery of the past decade. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Gaiutra Bahadur, a Guyanese American author, reporter and professor of journalism and English at Rutgers University, who has written about what's at stake for Guyana.

Author Reza Aslan just published, A Kids Book About Israel & Palestine," that gives parents an opportunity to explain both sides of this conflict without casting blame or painting either side as right or wrong. He speaks with The World's host Carolyn Beeler about the book and how empathy and compassion can empower children to look for solutions to the most intractable problems that divide communities and nations.

Today, millions of South Africans are voting in what is being called the most important election since the end of apartheid in 1994. For the past 30 years, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has dominated elections and national leadership. But years of corruption and economic issues are leading many South Africans to change their support. The World's host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi in Johannesburg.

Climate change is impacting the flow of water into the Rio Grande river. The river forms part of the US-Mexico border and the two nations share the water supply. But recently, Mexico hasn't been upholding its side of previous water-sharing agreements. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Martha Pskowski, a reporter with Inside Climate News, about the impact on local agriculture in Texas and how Mexico's next president could determine what happens next.

For 40 years in downtown Tegucigalpa, Honduras, mothers have been picketing once a month to demand justice for their disappeared family members. A new bill in Congress seeks to rectify human rights violations. Michael Fox reports on the women behind the bill, and why they are fighting to keep the memory of their loved ones alive.

Chery, a Chinese electric vehicle maker popular around the world, is setting up a shop in Barcelona. It's a first on European soil for a Chinese EV maker, and the joint-venture is meant to protect Chery from potential trade restrictions on the heels of a European Union investigation into allegedly unfair subsidies from Beijing. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

The Biden Administration is loosening some restrictions on businesses in Cuba. The regulatory change, announced this week, will allow some Cuban business owners to open bank accounts in the United States. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Richard Feinberg, professor of international political economy at UC San Diego about the changes, which include enhanced internet-based services and broader access to US financial services, and their potential impact on the island's economy.

The US has appointed a new diplomatic representative to Taiwan. Veteran diplomat Raymond Greene would take over from Sandra Oudkirk starting this summer, according to the American Institute in Taiwan, which acts as the de-facto US embassy there. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Pressure is mounting on the White House to allow NATO allies to use Western weapons when attacking targets inside Russia. The World's host Carolyn Beeler speaks with the US permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Julianne Smith, about why the US has so far opposed lifting the restrictions.

Officials in South Korea say that more 250 balloons were sent across the militarized border from North Korea in the last day or so. The balloons dropped plastic bags full waste paper, garbage and perhaps even manure. The government in North Korea had warned that it would respond to activists in South Korea who sent antigovernment leaflets by balloon into North Korea. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Delcy Morelos is a Colombian artist, who incorporates soil and clay mixed with fibers, creating immersive installations. Considered a minimalist, Morelos weaves and sculpts based on themes of the natural earth and her appreciation of the natural world. Jeremy D. Goodwin, of St. Louis Public Radio, speaks to the artist whose work is on display at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation until Aug. 4, 2024.

On Wednesday, millions of South Africans will take to the polls to vote for members of their national assembly, who will then decide on their next president. For the past 30 years, the results have been predictable. The African National Congress, or ANC, which helped free the country from apartheid, has dominated elections ever since. But this time, polls are predicting that will change, as many South Africans are fed up with unemployment, corruption and a host of other issues. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports from Johannesburg.

The housing crisis in the Netherlands is one of the worst in Europe. The average Dutch home is now estimated to cost 10 times the average middle-income salary. And soaring rent prices leave many students and young professionals struggling to find a place to live. One group of young Dutch citizens has come up with its own solution. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports from Amsterdam.

Pope Francis apologized on Tuesday after he was quoted using a homophobic slur during a recent closed door meeting with Italian bishops to reaffirm the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests. Pope Francis has made a point of reaching out to LGBTQ+ Catholics and has long maintained that there is room for everyone" in the Catholic Church. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Andrea Rubera, an Italian who is Catholic, gay and a father of three. In 2015, Rubera had a phone conversation wth Pope Francis that persuaded him that the Catholic Church would welcome him and his family.

Another year means another cheese rolling competition in the UK. Its held annually in Gloucestershire and sees competitors tumbling down a steep hill after a wheel of cheese. Host Carolyn Beeler reports.

News reports say Israeli tanks this morning had entered the center of the city of Rafah, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip. An Israeli airstrike over the weekend sparked international condemnation after dozens of Palestinians were killed near a tent camp for displaced people. A spokesman for the Israeli military today said, We are investigating what caused the fire (in the camp) that resulted in this tragic loss of life." The World's Matthew Bell has the latest.

Efforts to rescue victims of a Papua New Guinea landslide are facing extreme challenges. Authorities in the South Pacific nation, off the coast of Australia, fear as many as 2,000 people are dead, most of them buried under mud and rocks. The World's Patrick Winn is following the story from Bangkok, Thailand, and discusses the latest with host Carolyn Beeler.

Morocco's high tourism season is just getting underway. But one substantial group is missing: Israelis of Moroccan descent who usually arrive by the tens of thousands to visit their ancestral homeland every year. They stopped coming to Morocco after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and ensuing war in Gaza. As reporter Alexa Dvorson reports, Moroccans in the city of Fez are discouraged because the country has a long history of peaceful Muslim-Jewish coexistence.

Mexico is almost certain to elect its first female president this weekend. Two women, Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez are leading the race, which is an undeniable milestone. But in a country with a history of gender violence and inequality, feminists aren't declaring victory yet. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.

The Israeli army's bombing of a tent camp, killing 45 Palestinian civilians in Gaza this weekend, leaves the Biden Administration's policy team with few options. The camp housed displaced Palestinians in a designated safe zone. The World's host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Retired US Lt. Gen. Mark Schwartz, the former US security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, about what the incident means for US-Israeli relations.

Regina Spektor was born in Russia and lived there until she was 9 years old, when her family moved to The Bronx in New York City. The Russian musicians she was exposed to as a girl had a deep influence on the music she's made ever since. Spektor talked about those influences with host Marco Werman back in 2013.

One thing The World has done a lot of over the years is highlight up and coming global recording artists. Host Marco Werman and The World's show director April Peavey discuss some of their favorites from the show's music archives.That includes 71-year-old musician Ustad Noor Bakhsh, a master of the balochi benju. He's played his custom-made instrument throughout the northwest region of Pakistan. When ethnomusicologist Daniayl Ahmed came across a video of Ustad Noor Bakhsh online, he just had to find him.Plus, twin sisters Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz are the daughters of late Cuban percussionist Miguel "Anga'" Diaz. Together the sisters are the musical duo Ibeyi. Host Marco Werman spoke to them in 2015 about their musical influences, including their dad, an alum of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club.

The famous Rumble in the Jungle was a fight between boxers Muhammad Ali and George Forman - that took place in Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo - in 1974. To help promote the match, organizers staged a three-day festival featuring headlining African and African American musicians. Decades later, some of the music was released in a collection called Zaire 74. Host Marco Werman spoke to South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and American record producer Stewart Levine when the CD came out in 2017.

Artists often search for beauty in tragedy. Musician Valeria Castro is no exception.

Host Marco Werman and show director April Peavey discover and re-discover The World's music favorites. Back in 2012, we featured a young red-headed singer on his first US tour. Ed Sheeran came to The World's studio in Boston and introduced us to his debut single "A Team." He also schooled host Marco Werman in rhythm.

In a forest outside of Norway, a thousand spruce trees are growing. They were planted in 2014 and will grow for a century, when they'll be cut down and turned into books for a project called Future Library." The World's Bianca Hillier has the story.

Despite longstanding tensions between Armenians and Turks, a Turkish delicacy is prepared at an Armenian grocery near Boston. Kaymak, which sells for $30 a pound, is the Turkish version of clotted cream, often used to cut the sweetness of treats. It's a painstaking process to make it. GBH Radio's James Bennett II visits the grocery to see what all the fuss is about.

Cromwell Ojeda and his brother grew up in Dubai - two Filipino kids in an expat family - but in 2022, his brother moved to Canada where their family can finally gain citizenship. From the podcast "Movement," stories about music and migration, Meklit Hadero talks with Ojeda about losing his lifelong collaborator, and what it's like to make music and community in a place where people tend to come and go.

Sustained applause at concerts, film premieres and other events can mystify attendees as much as it chuffs the performers. Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler listen for applause around the globe, which researchers say is universal.

The UN's highest court is calling on Israel to stop its military offensive in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. An estimated 1 million Palestinians have now been displaced from Rafah as the Israeli military presses deeper into the city. This comes as the military also said it had recovered the bodies of three Israeli hostages from the enclave. Approximately 125 Israeli hostages remain in captivity. Host Carol Hills speaks with Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, about the status of the hostages and Israel's growing isolation.

This year, more than half of the world's population, from India to the United States, is heading to the polls to vote for their next leaders. At the same time, there's growing concern over how artificial intelligence audio, images and videos are disrupting the election process by fueling confusion and misinformation. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports ahead of the general election in South Africa.

The war in Sudan between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese national army has reached a new critical juncture. The national army is encircled in the city of El Fasher by the RSF in the region of Darfur, which is an epicenter of ethnic killings. Regardless, the United Arab Emirates keeps supporting the RSF despite its actions. The World's host Carolyn Beeler talks with Cameron Hudson, a former National Security Council advisor and diplomatic aide on Sudan, about what the UAE's support is, why it continues, and why no one has stopped it.

Thinking big has brought humanity ambitious, monumental feats of architecture - from the elegance of the Taj Mahal in India to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's largest structure. But many others haven't made it out of the blueprint phase. The World's host Carol Hills hears from Sam Lubell, the co-author of the "Atlas of Never Built Architecture," a compendium of buildings that were designed, but never got off the ground.

Mexico has put together a team of 77 athletes who are going to the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Gustavo Solis, of KPBS, met with several members of the team, who hail from Baja California, the Mexican state that shares a border with the US state of California.

Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, has become a target of Russian attacks in recent weeks and months. Today, Russian strikes killed seven people and injured at least 20 in the city. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, about the situation on the ground in Ukraine as Russia continues to advance and Washington pledges more support for Ukraine's military.

Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash over the weekend, was seen as a strong candidate to replace the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. With Raisi out of the picture, who will replace the 85-year-old leader and why is it important?

The Biden Administration has faced an uphill battle in its efforts to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer some detainees to other nations, including Oman. An effort to airlift Yemeni prisoners to the Sultanate in October was suspended after war broke out in Gaza. Host Carolyn Beeler learns more from Retired Air Force Col. Morris Davis, former chief prosecutor at Guantanamo.

Severe tornadoes have been rolling through several Midwestern states in recent days, causing extensive damage and a number of fatalities. The United States experiences the most and the deadliest tornadoes in the world, but they do happen on every continent except Antartica. Host Carolyn Beeler gets a global look at tornadoes with Jana Houser, an atmospheric scientist at Ohio State University who specializes in tornadoes.

Today, Kenyan President William Ruto will be at the White House for a historic state dinner celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations with the United States. It's the first state visit of an African head of state since 2008. This comes as Kenyan police are expected to arrive in Haiti to lead a controversial multinational UN force backed by Washington. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi.

China is holding military drills around the island of Taiwan this week, just following the inauguration of a new president who advocates for stronger defense against China. Meanwhile, the political parties in Taiwan are sharply divided, leading to legislative gridlock. From Taipei, Ashish Valentine reports that tens of thousands of people have hit the streets in protest.

Omar Geles, the Latin Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and accordionist from Colombia, has died at the age of 57. Host Carolyn Beeler offers a musical remembrance of the popular artist whose loss is being mourned today across Latin America.

A new vaccine study from Duke University suggests scientists are making advances towards a vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infection disease expert at Brigham & Women's Hospital, about how this new potential vaccine works and what it means for the long battle to cure HIV/AIDS.

Marathons around the world are filling up fast, and many are setting new records for participation. The World's Bianca Hillier spoke with runners and race directors across the globe to hear why they choose to lace up.

It may be hundreds of miles away from any coastline, but the Bavarian capital of Munich is home to one of the world's most iconic - albeit dangerous - waves. The Eisbach wave, apparently appeared overnight in 1972, after the city submerged several concrete blocks under a bridge to block the river's strong current. This created an accidental constant flowing wave effect - one which experienced surfers immediately seized upon. Reporter Rebecca Rosman reports from Munich.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an active hurricane season in a forecast released today. The agency expects up to 13 hurricanes, and up to half of those could be Category 3 or greater. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Fred Dewilde, a graphic novelist and survivor of both the 2015 Bataclan and 2016 Nice attacks, died earlier this week by suicide. His 2018 graphic memoir "La Morsure" or "The Bite" was a bestseller in France and told the story of how he coped with experiencing both attacks. Dewilde was a regular on French television speaking about his experience as a survivor. He was also an active member of Life for Paris, a support group for the survivors of the November 2015 attacks. In a statement, his family said he struggled to live with the trauma of the attacks. Rebecca Rosman reports from Paris.

The Aral Sea, which spans the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, used to be the fourth largest lake on the planet. It was home to many species of fish, as well as a thriving fishing industry. All of that changed when Soviet policy depleted the lake's water by diverting it to far-flung agriculture, turning a giant fresh water lake into a much smaller salt water lake. An engineering project turned things around - but the progress is once again on shaky ground. Levi Bridges reports from western Kazakhstan.

In the 1980s, a mime artist found himself in the midst of a university protest in Brazil's capital. Hit with an urge to speak out, the actions he took landed him in the global spotlight. Antonio Rocha shared his experience on "Stories from the Stage," a production of GBH's World TV.