The World: Latest Stories

Hadith Abdulle taught himself to play the oud as a child in Somalia, a childhood disrupted by civil war. Through the upheaval in his life, including racism in the US, this instrument has been his constant and his refuge. He now teaches it at a center for grieving children in Maine. Reporter Caroline Losneck has his story.

A heat sensor in Delhi recorded 127 degrees Fahrenheit recently. Turned out the reading was off, but it still might have broken the historical record for the city. And the results have been lethal. The heat has killed at least 56 people according to the federal government, including election officials overseeing the polls in the world's largest democracy. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Vijay Limaye, the director of applied research initiatives at the National Resources Defense Council, who has worked on this problem of extreme heat.

Papua New Guinea's prime minister made his first visit today to the remote village hit by a deadly landslide last week. He apologized for not visiting sooner, and thanked the international aid community for their work in his country. It's still unclear how many people are buried under the rubble and, as The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports, the rescue mission has turned into a search for bodies.

Reporter Fariba Nawa introduces her investigation into Iranian plots against exiles in Turkey. She tells the story of Iran's history of violence against its citizens at home, and how that violence has grown to cross international borders today. The fate of a dissident in France becomes a blueprint for the questions she seeks to answer in an investigative series by The World and On Spec Podcast, called "Lethal Dissent."

The Silk Road in Uzbekistan was a caravan route, it was a path for explorers and it was traversed by Soviet-era train tracks. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek tells host Carolyn Beeler about this Central Asian country that has been a thoroughfare for explorers, traders and conquerors across the centuries. Salopek crossed the Silk Road on foot, as part of his 24,000 mile Out of Eden Walk.

Mexico is preparing for its largest-ever election this weekend. More than 20,000 positions are up for grabs, including local, state and congressional offices, as well as the office of the president. It's almost certain that voters will elect their first female head of state. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with The World's Mexico's correspondent Tibisay Zea about the issues in this election.

Over the last few months, Russia has intensified its assault on the Kharkiv region. It has also intensified its missile and drone attacks on Kharkiv city. Many Ukrainians living near the border with Russia, in that region, are fleeing to safer areas further west. Some families from Kharkiv fled when Russia began its full-scale invasion. The World's Daniel Ofman, tells the story of one family that's been internally displaced from Kharkiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

US Census and Canada's statistical agency show that the number of Canadians heading south to live in the US has jumped 70%. The World's host Carolyn Beeler talks with Rosanna Berardi, the managing partner of Berardi Law which helps Canadians with US immigration law, about the trend.

The Caribbean is very used to getting hurricanes between June and December. But this year in particular could be especially difficult with even more storms than usual forecast to hit the region. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with climatologist Cedric Van Meerbeeck from Barbados about the factors behind the increasingly powerful storms, and what to expect this year in the region.

The Panama Canal Authority has told shipping companies that it will increase the maximum authorized draft to 45 feet. That means more and larger ships can pass through, thanks to a rise in water levels as the rainy season begins. Host Carolyn Beeler explains how rainfall impacts shipping along this important water route connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

A volcano in Iceland has erupted for the fifth time in five months. The eruption emitted lava and ash and prompted the nearby town of Grindavik to be evacuated. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Gro Pedersen, a volcanologist at the University of Iceland, about what is causing the repeat eruptions and the caves newly formed by the lava.

A Hong Kong court today convicted 14 pro-democracy activists of conspiracy to subvert state power." It acquitted two defendants. Emily Lau, the former chairperson of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, was inside the courthouse when the verdict came down. Lau tells The World's host Carolyn Beeler those found guilty face sentences ranging from three years to life in prison.

Partial results in South Africa's national election show the African National Congress party at well below 50% of the vote so far. The party of Nelson Mandela has ruled South Africa since apartheid ended. As host Carolyn Beeler explains, if the ANC doesn't get a majority, it will be forced to form a coalition in order to remain in government.

For decades, Philadelphia's LOVE Park was an iconic skate spot known across the globe. The city closed it down for renovations in 2016, though, and the skate community has been mourning the loss ever since. But, as The World's Bianca Hillier reports, the beloved destination is now getting a second life across the Atlantic.

For months, groups on the Israeli far right have traveled to the crossings where aid is moved from the West Bank to the border between Israel and Gaza in order to disrupt the shipments. But now, other groups of Israelis are boarding buses from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and heading to those crossing to try and help the trucks begin their passage into Gaza to deliver the aid. Reporter Sarah Ventre travels along with the group from Jerusalem.

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.