The World: Latest Stories

Though it has less than 1 million citizens, the Solomon Islands is caught up in a very big game with the world superpowers. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare - who is pro-China - is asking voters on April 17 to choose a future aligned with China and not the West. Alarmed, the US is now starting to pay attention to a country it has long ignored. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

The global effort to get more renewable energy projects built saw some progress in the past year. The Global Wind Energy Council reported on Tuesday that 117 gigawatts of new wind energy projects were installed in 2023. That's a 50% increase over the year before. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more details.

A new study of anger in people shows little evidence that venting helps, and in some cases it could increase anger. Host Marco Werman speaks with Sophie Kjaervik, a postdoctoral fellow in the The Injury and Violence Prevention Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is lead author of the study published this month in Clinical Psychology Review, and says, "To reduce anger, it is better to engage in activities that decrease arousal levels," such as slow-flow yoga, mindfulness, deep breathing and taking a timeout.

With supply shortages softening Ukraine's air defense capabilities, Russia has in recent weeks been targeting a more exposed Ukrainian power grid. Airstrikes have targeted major power plants around cities including Kyiv and Kharkiv. Host Carolyn Beeler learned about the extent of the damage to the country's infrastructure from Andrian Prokip, head of the energy program at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future.

On the heels of March Madness some star international players are going pro with the WNBA. That includes Croatia's Nika Muhl who helped lead the University of Connecticut's women's team. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the details.

The US is seeing a significant drop in illegal border crossings, a surprising development given that crossings typically rise as temperatures turn warmer. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City that the migrants are increasingly stuck in Mexico, because authorities there are cracking down on immigration at the request of the Biden administration.

A roundup of offbeat and other stories from across the globe you may have missed by hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler.

US officials say they hope Israel's tensions with Iran don't widen and deepen. At the same time, Israel's military chief now says that his armed forces will respond to Iran's weekend missile attack. Retired Adm. John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, talks with host Marco Werman about the role the US will play as its ally Israel decides how to retaliate.

Coral reefs from Australia to North America are experiencing their fourth global bleaching event in the past 30 years. That's according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch. Scientists worry that the coral reefs won't be able to survive continued rising sea temperatures. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with reef expert David Obura, founding director of CORDIO East Africa.

A massive blaze at Copenhagen's old stock exchange building destroyed much of the building, including its iconic spiral. Firefighters and volunteers worked to save priceless art and valuables at the site. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Mark Isitt, a Swedish architecture critic who lives in Copenhagen, about what's been lost and how Copenhagen residents will remember the building.

There is a small population of Palestinians and Arabs, about 20%, who are Israeli citizens and have all the rights of the country. That includes political leaders. Sami Abu Shehahdeh is a former member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset and chairman of the Balad Party. This party represents the interests of Palestinians and Arab Israelis. Host Marco Werman spoke with Shehadeh at his office in Jaffa about the current situation in Gaza and what it means for the future of both sides in this war.

Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones toward Israel Saturday night in a barrage that might prove a turning point in regional hostilities. Israel and its allies intercepted almost all of the missiles and drones, after Iran announced the attack in advance. The World's team in Jerusalem recorded these sounds before running down into a shelter on Saturday night. They then made their way to Amman, Jordan, where Marco Werman and Matthew Bell filed this dispatch.

We look at how Iran's attack on Israel is seen inside Iran.

The musical instrument called the kora has been played almost exclusively by men since the 13th century, strictly passed down as a family tradition in West Africa. But one musician has changed everything: Sona Jobarteh, the first woman from a Griot family to become a professional kora player. GBH reporter Jeremy Seigel recently spoke with Jobarteh.

Two mass stabbings in Sydney over the weekend has many Australians reeling. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports on Saturday's attack that took place at a popular shopping center that left six people dead.

Joleen Mitton is a former model in Vancouver who has started the city's Indigenous Fashion Week. After a career as a model in Asian, Mitton's influence is spreading in the fashion world in other parts of North America. Sonia Narang has this profile of Mitton from Vancouver.

Israel is weighing how to respond after Iran's unprecedented assault that included more than 300 drones and missiles launched against it on Saturday. The Biden administration is urging Israel to proceed with caution, saying it will not join in any retaliatory strikes. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ian Bremmer, president and founder of the Eurasia Group.

In uncertain times, a regular dose of laughter goes a long way. Reporter Alexa Dvorson went to Berlin, Germany, to see for herself.

Ten years ago, hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls were abducted and spirited away by the militant group called Boko Haram. Some of the young women managed to escape. Nigerian soldiers rescued others. Today, more than 90 remain missing. Some have died; others are still being held. Journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani tells The World's Carolyn Beeler why some of those who were kidnapped remain married to those who captured them.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk is instituting a series of reforms, with education being one of his targets. Under the new rules, teachers don't have to give homework to children in the first to third grades. It's optional until grade nine.

Humans and monkeys once peacefully coexisted in Lopburi, a mid-sized city in Thailand, but no more. Its downtown is overrun with more than 2,000 long-tailed macaques, snatching food and belongings from passersby. Wildlife authorities say the monkeys expanded turf during lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic with the alpha males now acting like gang leaders. The World's Patrick Winn reports that they are proving difficult to dislodge.

One year after a vicious war broke out in Sudan, the conflict has killed nearly 16,000 people, displaced millions and pushed the country to the brink of famine. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with U-S Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello about efforts to get more aid into the country, and bring the warring factions to the negotiating table.

Barilla - the Italian pasta company - has released a six-song Al Bronzo Soundtrack." They say the soundtrack is scientifically designed to enhance the taste and texture of their pasta. A University of Oxford experimental psychologist, who worked on the project, says the science behind this is real. The World's Bianca Hillier looks at what's known as "sonic seasoning."

The biggest issue in Israel today is the fate of the 133 hostages still held captive in Gaza. Israel says according to military intelligence, 33 of them are dead. Demonstrators have held sit-ins, marches and protests almost every day over the past six months demanding their return. The World's Marco Werman spoke with Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7. They have just returned from a trip to the U-S where they met with top officials.

Mazatlan is home to the traditional music of Mexico, known as banda. With tubas and trombones, enthusiastic musicians go up and down the beaches serenading tourists. But foreigners recently complained, and banda was banned. The World's Mexico correspondent Tibisay Zea reports that the musicians took to the street to make some noise.

The World's Marco Werman and Matthew Bell have been on the ground in Israel and the Palestinian West Bank for the past two weeks. The tell hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler that the tension is palpable, even as people dare to hope for a move toward peace.