The World: Latest Stories

There's a lot of tension and uncertainty in Venezuela, ahead of a crucial presidential election this weekend. The country's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro, wants to secure another six years in power, but there's a chance he will be defeated. Host Marco Werman gets the latest from The World's Tibisay Zea, who has been covering this election from Caracas.

The Olympics will go on in Paris, despite a massive sabotage campaign against France's rail system. Hundreds of thousands of travelers are stranded, including in the capital, and the police are investigating the incidents as a crime. But the Olympics opening ceremony, held on boats floating down the Seine river, will not be interrupted. The World's host, Marco Werman, talks to correspondent Gerry Hadden, who has been covering the Olympics in Paris.

Scribes in ancient Egypt suffered from repetitive stress injuries, according to a new study by Czech scientists published in the peer-reviewed journal "Scientific Reports." Host Marco Werman tells us how researchers examined the skeletons of royal scribes and discovered evidence of damage to the workers' jaw, neck and shoulder regions, likely from the sitting and kneeling that came with the job.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ismael Zambada, both leaders in the Sinaloa Cartel, were arrested by US authorities after they landed on a runaway in New Mexico. The story behind the arrest and why they flew to the United States is not clear, but the possibilities are intriguing. Steven Dudley, the co-founder and co-director of Insight Crime, gives the background on who these two men are, what is known about the arrests and why cartel drug trafficking is harder than ever for the authorities to disrupt.

Canada's wildfire season is well underway and it has already sparked evacuations, destroyed homes and burned forests across Canada's national parks. The fire in Jasper National Park ended up causing major damage to the nearby town of Jasper. Residents and tourists alike were forced to flee. Host Marco Werman speaks with Joe Urie, a resident and owner of the Jasper Tour Company, about evacuating his town and what made it special prior to the fires.

Hong Kong isn't just a city. It's a brand - one that's taken a beating in recent years. The old image of Hong Kong, as a vibrant part of China where people could say almost anything they liked, has been damaged by a crackdown on dissidents, journalists and even artists. Now Hong Kong's government is spending millions on a campaign to get the city's mojo back. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

Brazil is sending 277 athletes to the Paris Olympics this week. It's one of the largest delegations from Latin America. One of the biggest stars from Brazil is Rebeca Andrade, an athlete who has helped build enthusiasm for women's gymnastics across the country and the globe. Michael Fox has the story from southern Brazil.

During his speech to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called protesters gathered outside "useful idiots." The World's host, Marco Werman, explains where the term came from.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek talks about his walk through northern India, where modern farming with high-yield seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, tractors and motorized well pumps have made India self-sufficient in food. But as he tells The World's host, Carolyn Beeler, it has come at a cost to the environment, to the country's water supplies and to some traditional ways of life.

James C. Scott, who died on July 19 at the age of 87, has been called one of the most original and radical political theorists of the past century. He started by studying Southeast Asia, and then expanded to other disciplines and to the rest of the globe. Host Marco Werman speaks with Todd Holmes, who made the documentary, "In A Field All His Own: The Life and Career of James C. Scott."

Venezuelans will head to the polls this weekend for a crucial presidential election. The country is governed by authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, who is seeking re-election. But he's not very popular. Under his 11-year rule, Venezuela's economy collapsed, repression escalated and millions of people left. The displacement has contributed to a migrant surge in the US. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Caracas, Venezuela.

Typhoon Gaemi is one of the strongest typhoons to affect the Asia-Pacific region in nearly a decade. The storm sparked massive evacuations in the Philippines, and left flooding and landslides in its wake. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Deutsche Welle East Asia Correspondent James Chater about the storm, how the Philippines and Taiwan have been affected so far and where the typhoon is headed next.

Cricket is, objectively, not massively popular in Mexico, where soccer and baseball rule. The country's national governing body - the Mexico Cricket Federation - wants to change that and enact social change along the way. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Changing weather patterns mean that dangerous mosquitos native to Asia are now flourishing in Africa. Anopheles stephensi have recently been detected in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. Cristina Rafferty, a molecular biologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells The World's host, Carolyn Beeler, about a new test she's developed to help communities identify the invader.

South Africa calls itself a non-aligned nation. Yet in recent years, it's edged so close to both Russia and China, and it's risked losing its duty-free access to US markets via the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Members of South Africa's new government of national unity are visiting Washington, DC, this week and hoping to reset relations and renew their eligibility in AGOA, as The Africa Report's Julian Pecquet explains to The World's host, Marco Werman.

Japan has the oldest population in the world, and the small village of Nanmoku, in the mountains northwest of Tokyo, has the oldest population on the planet. The World's Carolyn Beeler visits Nanmoku to see how demographic change is changing life there, and how the village is trying to attract new residents to keep itself alive.

Throughout Mexico, agave plants are used to make distillates like tequila, mezcal and bacanora, a similar liquor made in the state of Sonora. But much of the plant goes to waste when agave leaves are stripped and distilled. Kendal Blust reports from Matape, Sonora, on a group that is making new products from the fiber from agave leaves to reduce waste and bring new income to rural communities.This story originally aired on Aug. 11, 2023.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, on Wednesday becomes the world leader with a record number of appearances in the US Congress. He'll be giving his fourth speech to a joint session of the House of Representatives, but his primary audience might be the one back home in Israel. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Though the Olympics are a global event, host France wants the games' organizers to stick to the French language. They say it's because English has encroached too much already. Case in point: The Paris 2024 slogan, "Made for Sharing" - in English. But holding English at bay won't be easy, as The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Paris.

An independent inquiry in New Zealand issued a report that found 200,000 people were abused in care over the past seven decades. Children, women and members of the Maori community were found to have been subjects of sexual, physical and psychological abuse. The abuse also continued to occur even after authorities at state and religious institutions were notified. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler report.

Wild sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, according to new study by Brazilian scientists, in the latest research to demonstrate how illegal drug consumption by humans is harming marine life. Host Marco Werman speaks with Chris Reddy, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, about the problem of drugs, medicines and other contaminants in harming marine life.

China has the second largest economy on the planet, but the growth of that economy is not on target with goals set by Beijing. Host Marco Werman and veteran journalist Jane Perlez explore economic issues like real estate, unemployment and tech. Perlez is the host of the podcast "Face Off: US versus China."

New rules are coming to the US border on Aug. 1, and some dog owners are concerned. The World's hosts, Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler, have the latest.

Hong Kong is more than one of the busiest shipping hubs in the world. It also plays a key role in sanctions busting for Russia. Host Marco Werman speaks with Hong Kong human rights lawyer, researcher and advocate Samuel Bickett, author of "Beneath the Harbor: Hong Kong's Leading Role in Sanctions Evasion," about Hong Kong's inadequate efforts to halt the flow of prohibited Western high-tech products to Russia.

The United Arab Emirates has sentenced 57 Bangladeshi residents to lengthy terms in prison for protesting in solidarity with people in Bangladesh over job quotas. According to an official Emirati news agency, some of the protesters have been given life sentences and others between 10 and 11 years. Protests are banned in the UAE, a country with a track record of stifling dissent. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

The streets of Paris are crawling with soldiers and police. Parts of the city are off-limits, including much of the Seine river. The "City of Light" is on maximum alert to protect Olympic athletes and fans from terrorist attacks. For some locals, the measures are choking them financially. Others are finding an odd peace, as some streets become deserted. As for tourists, they're just trying to get to the Louvre. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Paris.

Jose Romero, from Cancun, Mexico, had a dream to become an American football player. His journey took him to Arizona and to another slightly different job than what he dreamed of. He told his story to GBH's Stories From The Stage.

It's long been known that chimpanzees "speak" in both sounds and gestures. But now, scientists have shown that different groups of chimpanzees speak at different rates. Kanyawara chimpanzees from Uganda's Kibale National Park, for example, speak in rapid-fire and interrupt each other frequently, much like Americans. The Sonso chimpanzees from the Budongo Forest, also in Uganda, speak more slowly, like the Danes. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

President Joe Biden's announcement that he will not be running for a second term has sent Russia's state news channels into a paroxysm of mockery. Their central theme is that American democracy is a joke and "Putinism," with its stability and strength, is far superior. The World's Daniel Ofman reports that these messages say a lot more about Russia and the Kremlin's politics than the US election.

The volunteer organization "Road to Recovery" started in 1993 with a tragedy. That's when Yuval Roth's brother was killed by Hamas, and Roth joined a support group for Palestinians and Israelis who had lost loved ones in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. When Palestinian members of the group began to need help with rides to medical treatments in Israel, Roth jumped in. It soon became a regular thing, and as reporter Rebecca Rosman tells us, it's now an organization of hundreds.

A letter was delivered to the UK government asking for financial assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. It was signed by the leaders of Antigua, Barbuda, St. Vincent and Grenada warning that Caribbean countries cannot sustain the rising debt related to climate disasters. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Emily Wilkinson, a research fellow with the ODI think tank, about the damage sustained to these nations and why they're calling on Britain for help.

BALTHVS brings psychedelic funk to ColombiaBRINGS PSYCHEDELIC FUNK TO COLOMBIA

UNAIDS, the UN agency devoted to combatting the spread of HIV/AIDS, has issued a new report that shows global leaders are getting closer to the goal of eliminating AIDS as a major public health threat by 2030, but there are some growing obstacles causing the effort to stall instead of succeed. Eamonn Murphy, a regional director from UNAIDS, talks about the report and global state of the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Mastic gum - an aromatic tree resin prized for its medicinal properties - has been used to flavor everything from desserts to toothpaste. It was used to cure digestive issues in ancient times, and even to preserve photography negatives when the technology was new. On the Greek island of Chios, inhabitants of 24 fortified villages still cultivate mastic, known poetically as "The Tears of Chios." But producers say there aren't enough growers to meet global demand. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

The White Mesa Mill in Utah is one of the few remaining places in the US where low-level nuclear waste can be recycled. So, the Canadian-owned mill often takes in hundreds of tons of waste from all over the world. The mill is located just a few miles from the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, whose members have been fighting for decades to shut the facility down. Gabriel Pietrorazio from member station KJZZ reports.

Kenya is known for its runners above all else. While there will certainly be plenty of those at the Paris Olympics this week, the country is also sending its first fencer Alexandra Ndolo. The German-Polish-Kenyan athlete decided to compete for her father's home country in 2022. Her debut comes amid growing efforts by the Tsavora Fencing Club to make fencing more accessible for Nairobi's youth. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi has the story.

In Namibia, a project is hoping to solve two issues for the price of one: Make use of a pesky plant known as the encroacher bush and help deal with the country's housing crisis. By harvesting the water-intensive weeds that encroach on farmland and combining them with a mushroom byproduct known as mycelium, MycoHAB founder and architect Chris Maurer says bricks can be created to build homes. The World's host, Carolyn Beeler, spoke to Maurer to learn more.

Two new giant pandas will be coming to the Smithsonian's National Zoo by the end of the year. They're likely to be a huge hit with the public, just like the last pair of pandas. But the bears aren't just cute and cuddly attractions; they're big business for Washington, DC. WAMU reporter Elliot Williams checks in on thePanda-monium."

After Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he's ending his bid for re-election and supporting Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, world leaders have been asked to weigh in on the big political news in the US. American allies offered high praise for Biden's legacy, while the reaction from Russia was far harsher.

Israel's high-tech air defense system failed to stop a drone attack launched by the Houthi militia of Yemen on Thursday night. The strike killed one man in his apartment, and at least 10 others were injured. Nearly 10 months into the war between Hamas and Israel, The World's Shirin Jaafari reports that this attack fuels worries in Washington about the conflict spreading spreading into a wider regional war.

A journalist who made fun of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's height must pay her 5,000 euros in damages. Host Carol Hills has the details.

On Instagram, Princess Mahra al Maktoum made a post that recited one custom in conservative Islam that allows a husband to divorce his wife if he repeats, "I divorce you," out loud three times. It's reserved for men, but Princess Mahra flipped that. The post points to social and cultural underpinnings of the Dubai royal family's stage-managed public presence - and it's possible erosion.

Mohammed Rezaie, a former Iranian navy captain who fled to Turkey, is pursued by a group of undercover Turkish operatives working for Iran. They nearly kidnap him, but Rezaie's suspicions of them help him escape. Reporter Fariba Nawa tells the story of how Rezaie survives.

Switzerland isn't a car country. It's train territory. Cars here are luxury items, and often unnecessary, thanks to robust public transit. So, a pop-up, drive-in movie series in Basel is kind of a novelty. But as reporter Gabe Bullard discovered, attendees really embrace 1950s Americana. Vintage cars included.

Earlier on Friday, Evan Gershkovich stood in a glass cage in Yekaterinburg, a city about 900 miles east of Moscow, as the court sentenced him to a 16-year prison term on espionage charges. The Wall Street Journal and the US government have called this a sham trial" and vehemently deny the charges. The World's Daniel Ofman reports on the plight of Gershkovich and other Americans detained in Russia on baseless charges.

The International Court of Justice issued a ruling on Friday saying that Israel's occupation of the West Bank and east Jerusalem is illegal and amounts to apartheid. Israel said the ICJ's decision was biased and "completely detached from reality." The World's host Carol Hills reports.

Siamese crocodiles are considered highly endangered and nearly went extinct in the 1990s. Now, through government and NGO decadeslong-conservation efforts, the Siamese crocodiles are making a comeback. Host Carol Hills reports.

In Uganda, motorcycles are one of the most-popular forms of public transport. In the capital city, Kampala, there are hundreds of thousands of them. Until recently, all of them were driven by men. But that's starting to change, with a new initiative to get women into the business. Anita Elash has the story from Kampala.

On Oct. 7, 39 workers from Thailand were murdered by Hamas in Israel. Another 31 were taken hostage into Gaza. So it's probably no surprise that around a third of the 30,000 strong community - which has been taking up agricultural jobs on Israel's farms for decades - left the country in the aftermath of the attacks. Now, they're coming back, in large part motivated by the financial incentives. Rebecca Rosman reports from Israel.

In the northeast city of Girona, Spain, the ever-growing resentment toward overtourism has boiled over into acts of aggression against an unlikely demographic: people on bicycles. Girona has a been a hub for serious cyclists for decades. A new group has formed to keep out cyclists, and vandals are attacking local bike shops. The World's Gerry Hadden pays a visit to Girona to find out why.