The World: Latest Stories

COVID-19 vaccines have been available in Ghana since March 2021, but vaccine hesitancy in some areas has slowed down vaccination rates so far in the West African nation.

Nearly 60 million homes in the United States are within a mile of a wildfire zone, but most people are unaware of the risk. This risk was made clear in the suburbs of Boulder, Colorado, on Dec. 30, 2021, when the Marshall fire torched close to a thousand homes.

Provincial governments in Ontario and Quebec said that in order to keep beds open for COVID-19 patients, only emergency procedures should go ahead.

Three deaths have been confirmed by Tongan authorities. The eruption was so powerful that people as far as 2,000 miles away could hear it, and volcanic ash plume grew to 180 miles across the island in less than an hour.

The recent uptick in sinkholes is largely attributed to rapid groundwater loss as farmers tap deep underground wells to irrigate fields during a nearly three-yearlong drought.

The year 2021 was once again one of the hottest on record. And what may seem like a slight temperature increase has actually caused devastating effects across the globe, with natural disasters becoming stronger and deadlier.

Many front-line workers and organizations immediately condemned the new rules, calling them “not safe, not fair” and not a solution to the “chronic and accute problem of understaffing.”

The US has ended its war in Afghanistan, the bombs have stopped falling and the Taliban are back in power. But life hasn't improved for millions of Afghans under the new government.

At 24, Silvana Estrada has already established herself as one of Mexico’s most promising singer-songwriters. Her debut album, “Marchita,” or "Withered," tells the story of how she learned to take care of herself after her first big heartbreak — and find joy in everyday life.

Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), was the top person responsible for improving cybersecurity across the US government. Now a cybersecurity consultant, Krebs joined The World’s host Marco Werman to discuss ongoing Russian cyber threats.

Moderna’s newfound success has put the small Massachusetts company in the hot seat over its handling of vaccine manufacturing and global access.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano’s eruption was officially declared over on Christmas Day after 10 days of no lava flows or seismic activity, and more than three months since it first erupted. Now, residents are trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives.

In an effort to protect Indonesia’s thermal coal supply, the country imposed an export ban in early January. But after several countries in Asia that depend on the crucial commodity lamented the move, the country has indicated an imminent ease of the ban.

Writer Jennifer Junghans describes her close encounters with blue-footed boobies and blacktip sharks — and a wondrous face-to-face meeting with a curious pufferfish.

Since 1989, hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians have left the country, looking for better job prospects and wages. But in 2020, emigration decreased dramatically while the number of returnees soared. Leaders hope they’ll stay and help build Bulgaria’s future.

All-female and all-queer tango groups playing contemporary tango songs with a feminist lens are on the rise in Argentina.

As military bases temporarily hosting refugees reach capacity, states are being asked to help, according to resettlement agencies. Connecticut alone is expecting more than 500 refugees — a jump since the initial 300 estimated in September. And the number could see another increase. But as Connecticut prepares for the influx, affordable housing has become a challenge.

This month, parents, teachers and kids in India were poised to reenter their classrooms full time. Omicron has pumped the brakes on that.

The Daoist goddess Mazu is revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. China supports Mazu worship as a way to strengthen cross-strait, political and economic relations.

Despite Africa's low vaccination rates, the continent's early, robust response has helped mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the continent so far, says Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And he predicts many more vaccines will be available in 2022, with a strong emphasis on distribution.

Ambassador Daniel Foote — former US special envoy for Haiti — told The World's host Carol Hills that the US, though moving in the right direction now, hasn't been doing right by Haiti.

There have been hundreds and thousands variants of COVID-19. Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, explained to The World's host Carol Hills when a variant actually becomes a variant of concern.

Evangelical Christians will play a powerful role in keeping President Jair Bolsonaro in power. But support may be slipping as evangelical progressives begin to organize against Bolsonaro ahead of next year's elections.

Aquamation is a corpse decomposition process that uses water instead of fire to produce similar results — an urn of ashes. It’s seen as a “greener alternative” to carbon-emitting cremation.

In northeastern Brazil, weeks of rain have caused massive flooding. At least 24 people are dead and tens of thousands have lost their homes. But in some places, local residents are coming together to provide support for those in need.

Tackling the coronavirus pandemic is challenging even for the most sophisticated medical systems in the world. But in Syria, it’s been compounded by an ongoing civil war.

Tropical forests are a treasure trove of biodiversity and contain vast stores of carbon that, if released through deforestation, threaten the stability of Earth’s climate system.

Food blogger Joanne Lee Molinaro speaks with The World's host Marco Werman about her cooking, social media success and the personal stories behind the experience.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician, joins The World’s host Marco Werman to discuss what’s at stake with the shutdown of Memorial International, which has documented Soviet-era crimes and other human rights abuses for 30 years.

Israel's largest hospital is testing a second COVID-19 booster on 150 health workers. The World's host Marco Werman discussed the study with Arnon Afek, deputy director-general and acting director of Sheba General Hospital.

They want the government to let them return to the US and request asylum. They also want someone to take responsibility for how they were treated at the border.

Is it easier to sing than speak in a foreign language? Taiwan-born artist Wen-hao Tien has put that question to the test as part of a new exhibit about the immigrant experience in Boston, Massachusetts.

Some Americans, like Pardis Mahdavi, feel caught between two worlds. Her parents immigrated to the US from Iran, and she's never really felt completely at home in either country. So now, she's adopted a hyphenated identity.

Psygen, a psychedelics startup in Calgary, predicts that a robust psychedelics industry is right around the corner. But the drugs remain illegal in Canada and the US, both early investment hotspots.

Norway is a leader in the shift to clean energy. Almost all of its electricity now comes from renewable sources. Norway also has big plans to go all-in on electric cars. They'll need a lot of minerals like copper, silver and lithium for batteries and electric grids. To that end, Norway plans to build a new copper mine in the Arctic. Some see this as trading one environmental problem for another.

According to Sudanese lawyer Mudathir Mohamed Taha, more than 200 people have been killed since the pro-democracy revolution began in 2019. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told the media that an investigation into the deaths is underway.

The Tió de Nadal, a smiling Christmas log, brings gifts to children in Barcelona in a tradition that dates back centuries. He is fed treats by the children and, in return, "poops" out holiday presents on Christmas Day.

The Ethiopian government continues to push back against Tigrayan forces in the ongoing civil war that began in November of 2020. Both sides have been accused of human rights violations.

Every December, Catholic Latinos across California honor the Virgen de Guadalupe. The celebration of Las Posadas commemorates the appearance of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to an Indigenous man named Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531.

Every December, Catholic Latinos across California honor the Virgen de Guadalupe. The celebration of Las Posadas commemorates the appearance of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to an Indigenous man named Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531.

Until recently, residents of Central Asian cities didn't have a good way to check the air quality before stepping outside in the winter, when pollution especially stagnates in the air. Pavel Plotitsyn took matters into his own hands, building low-cost air sensors and a website to help gauge air quality on any given day.

A drought that began last year still extends across much of southern Brazil, where reservoirs powering hydroelectric dams are less than 20% full. This is causing huge spikes in electricity prices, and forcing the import of power from abroad.

After Peng Shuai backtracked from accusing a top official of sexual assault, Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina and co-founder of the Sinica Podcast, tells The World’s host Marco Werman that her statement seems forced.

Since the murder of a prominent activist in the Iraqi city of Karbala, his mother has become the public face of a youth-led protest movement. She is inspiring a new movement of mothers in the country seeking justice and demanding change.

Chef Elijah Amoo Addo has been collecting discarded food from suppliers, farmers and restaurants to feed Ghana’s poor people since 2012.

Oleksiy Honcharuk, the former prime minister of Ukraine from 2019 to 2020, spoke with The World's host Carol Hills about escalating Russian military presence along the Russia-Ukraine border and what it means for Ukraine.

Malta is the first European country to legalize adult-use recreational cannabis. Germany and Luxembourg are likely to follow suit, but it's a far cry from the liberal Canadian model.

The US envoy for the Yemen conflict, Tim Lenderking, tells host Carol Hills about his efforts to promote a political solution to the military conflict that is now in its seventh year, which has triggered what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The world’s oceans are in trouble, and plastic is a huge part of it. A group of YouTube influencers is now helping to slow the estimated 20 billion pounds of plastic that get dumped into the ocean each year.

Women are facing many challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including those who are pregnant. The World's reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Ana Langer, Professor of the Practice of Public Health and Director of the Women and Health Initiative at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health about the topic.