The World: Latest Stories

Syria's regional position is being tested right now as Israel continues to hit what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets in that country. Host Marco Werman speaks with Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about the Syrian government's unwillingness to get dragged into the fight between Israel and its regional allies.

A new law meant to lower sentences for some crimes will inadvertently set free some of Spain's most notorious ETA members in jail for murder. The Basque independence group killed about 800 people over 40 years before renouncing its arms. Conservatives in Spain's parliament say they didn't catch the clause in the bill before it was voted into law last week and have accused the Socialist government of trickery. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona that the new law states that time served abroad will count toward these prisoners' release.

The Japanese government sees the next several years as the country's last chance to reverse a worrisome decline in the birth rate. Last year saw record low births in the country. And Japan is already the home to the oldest population on Earth. To tackle the demographic shift, Japan is boosting spending on child care and education, increasing cash benefits for having kids and increasing access to preschool. The World's co-host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Japanese women in their 20s and 30s who have had kids, and those who've decided not to.

After a long day working in front of a computer, it can be all too easy to fall onto the couch and stay there. But people in the Netherlands say that's actually the perfect time to go outside and go "uitwaaien." The World's Bianca Hillier has the story, which first aired on the program last December.

At a particular pizzeria in Dusseldorf, Germany, "number 40" came with a extra kick: cocaine. The special order was first noticed by food inspectors. Later, police found the manager with pounds of cocaine and hundreds of thousand of dollars in cash. This week, they busted an entire drug ring in western Germany. Marco Werman has more.

South Sudan is facing one of its worst flood seasons in decades at the same time as it's struggling to host more than a half million war refugees from the civil war in neighboring Sudan. Dr. Mohammed Bashir of Doctors Without Borders is in Twic County near the border separating the two countries. He describes for The World's Carolyn Beeler what he's been seeing.

On Monday, unrest broke out in Mozambique over results of an Oct 9 election, set to be announced later this week. The World's Sarah Birnbaum explains what's at stake in these tabulations, after observers have found counting irregularities, and reported tactics like vote buying and voter intimidation.

The situation in northern Gaza continues to deteriorate as Israel's military battles Hamas fighters in the Jabalia Refugee Camp. This comes as a plan is being floated through Israel's government and military to lay siege to the area and force Palestinian residents - already facing dire circumstances - out. The US has made clear it's opposed to this plan, and Israel's government has said it will not carry it out. Host Marco Werman speaks with Amir Tibon, an Israeli journalist and author of a new book called "The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival and Hope."

This week in Colombia, nearly 200 countries are gathered for COP16 to discuss ways of conserving biodiversity on the planet. The slogan of the COP16 is Peace with Nature," but the impact of humanity's relationship with nature has not been so serene: According to United Nations Environmental Programme, the Earth is experiencing "its largest loss of life since the dinosaurs," and much can be attributed to human activity. Host Marco Werman spoke to ecologist Tom Oliver, who has been following the event. He's a professor of applied ecology at University of Reading in the UK.

Ukrainian children's books are explaining difficult topics to young readers: war, parents away from home fighting in the war, and even death. The books are encouraging children to engage and reflect on their personal circumstances. As Lydia Tomkiw reports, after decades under Soviet rule, Ukrainians are excited to finally have books for kids in their own language helping them to deal with the war.

Earlier this month, a hyperlocal news agency covering the Baloch-speaking regions between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan reported the killings of approximately 230 people by Iranian border patrol. The Iranian government denies the deaths. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports with producer Sima Ghadirzadeh.

More than 2 billion years before the dinosaur-destroying meteorite, a meteorite the size of four Mt. Everests, known as S-2, crashed into Earth, creating a planetwide tsunami that actually had a positive impact on future life. Carolyn Beeler speaks with Nadja Drabon, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University and the lead author of a new study about the S-2 meteorite in the journal, "The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

Russia is hosting the BRICS summit on Tuesday, drawing together some three dozen countries including powerhouses India and South Africa, whose governments struggle to retain a balance between Eastern and Western influence, scrupulously avoiding taking sides over Ukraine. Host Marco Werman speaks with Sanusha Naidu, a senior research associate at the Institute for Global Dialogue in South Africa, who says East-West polarization is less of an issue for BRICS nations than their own sovereignty.

The war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has led to the world's worst hunger crisis. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, tells The World's Carolyn Beeler the scale of the conflict is beyond what our minds can conceive.

In the US, the city of Salem is synonymous with witch hunts. But what happened in Salem is a short chapter in a long story of witch hunts, a history that began in Europe. In the Netherlands, where a Dutch politician was recently the victim of an online campaign accusing her of witchcraft, there's a new effort to raise public awareness around the dark history behind these characterizations. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler look at the latest news out of Ukraine.

A decade ago, Hinds had it all: fame at home in Spain, a tight-knit band cranking out adorable garage-band hits and a world tour. But fame took its toll. Half the band quit, leaving Carlotta Casials and Ana Perrote without their rhythm section, a manager or a label. Then the pandemic hit. But as The World's Gerry Hadden tells us, the two hung in and their comeback record record, "Viva Hinds!" is punchy, fun and varied.

To his supporters, Fethullah Gulen was a builder of schools and a religious cleric with a moderate, tolerant vision of Islam. To the Turkish government, he was a shadowy cult leader and mastermind behind a bloody coup attempt in 2016. He died Sunday night at the age of 83.

The New York Liberty came from behind Sunday night to beat the Minnesota Lynx in overtime for the 2024 WNBA Championship. Basketball is a team sport, but one player stood out in New York's quest for victory. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the MVP's international roots.

It's been days since Cuba's nationwide blackout first started, though there have been brief interludes where parts of the island have regained power. Officials say they're working on it, but the roots of the crisis are in a power system that's long been undependable. Emily Morris, a senior research fellow at the University College London's Institute of the Americas, who visits Cuba and focuses on its economy, explains the origins of the crisis and where it's headed.

In northern Mexico, an Indigenous group from the remote mountains of Chihuahua have been running long distances to cope with scarcity and isolation. The Tarahumara have traditionally run in sandals, and some of its fastest runners have become marathon and ultra-marathon champions, while inspiring a barefoot trend around the world. But a new generation of Tarahumara runners are finding it more comfortable to run in tennis shoes. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Ciudad Juarez, where some Indigenous runners are fighting marathon organizers against what they consider discriminatory rules.

In this look at things you might have missed in the news, hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman look at a new three-minute hug limit at an airport in New Zealand. There were lots of hugs on Sunday when the White Ferns - the New Zealand women's cricket team - won the T20 World Cup. And our hosts stay in the Southern Hemisphere to explain why Britain's King Charles was heckled in the Australian parliament.

As vice president, Kamala Harris' Mideast policy proposals have generally tracked President Joe Biden's. But if she inherits the conflict in January, she'd be free to pursue different goals. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Halie Soifer about Harris' approach to the Mideast. Soifer served as national security adviser to Sen. Kamala Harris. She now heads the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

In Mexico City, people have speculated about the cause of small earthquakes felt recently. One particular concern spread on social media - and suggested by recent headlines: a new volcano could be forming. That's something that scientists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico have said could be a possibility, only they say this is expected to happen several hundreds of years in the future. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Ana Lillian Martin, a volcanologist at UNAM.

In October 2019, huge protests exploded across Chile. They began against a hike to public transportation fees, but the monthslong rallies soon grew into the largest protest movement the country had seen since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Those in the streets dreamed of transforming the country. Five years later, their legacy is complicated. Michael Fox has the story from Santiago.

Five environmental activists who helped secure a historic mining ban in El Salvador faced life imprisonment over an alleged civil-war-era crime - until today. The five were just acquitted. Host Carol Hills speaks with Jorge Cuellar, Assistant Professor of Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies at Dartmouth College, about the case itself, as well as this new development.

In Cornwall, in the UK, where overfishing poses a threat to the lobster population, a 25-year-old hatchery seems to have proven itself a success. The National Lobster Hatchery breeds the crustaceans and releases them into the wild, supporting not just the industry, but the economy and local culture built around them. Jamie Fullerton reports.

In response to Asian-American writers coming up against misunderstanding and pigeonholing when pitching and editing stories with the "Big Five" publishing houses in the US, a bespoke press now focuses solely on Asian American literature. It's still what the CEO calls a "scrappy little startup," but the authors working with the press say it's a relief to have found a comfortable home for their stories. The World's Marco Werman has more.

A ban on nighttime pub crawls in Prague, a wild cat native to Asia and Africa on the loose in suburban Chicago and sexist comments about a boat captain in New Zealand: Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler catch us up on all of it.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's destruction of roads and rail links to South Korea this week illustrated the ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. But as National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek discovered while walking there, the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that has divided North from South for 71 years can be a quiet, peaceful stretch of land - and water. He shares his observations with Host Carolyn Beeler.

Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant for the country's former leader, Sheikh Hasina. The warrant was issued based on charges of crimes against humanity during a student-led uprising that began in July and lasted into August, prompting Hasina to flee the country. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Naomi Hossain, a professor at the School of African and Oriental Studies in the UK, about the arrest warrant, and for an update on how people in Bangladesh have been faring since Sheikh Hasina's ouster earlier this year.

Australia was widely declared the favorite heading into this year's Women's T20 Cricket World Cup in the UAE. England and India were expected to do well, too. But with the final match coming up this weekend, none of those three teams remain in the running for the trophy. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Yesterday in California, the FBI announced charges against a Canadian drug trafficker. The twist: 43-year-old Ryan James Wedding is a former Olympic snowboarder for Team Canada. The FBI says Wedding allegedly ran a drug trafficking ring and was involved in the murders of four people. Host Carol Hills spoke to Frederik-Xavier Plante, a Montreal-based reporter for The Globe and Mail.

In Hong Kong, a new law is aimed at improving living conditions for people in cramped homes, known as subdivided units. The regulations would require these apartments to be a minimum of 86 square feet in size, and include windows and a toilet. Host Marco Werman speaks with Brian Wong, a researcher with the Liber Research Community, a think tank based in Hong Kong.

The economy, immigration and health care are the three most pressing issues for most US voters ahead of the Nov. 5 election. In Europe, though, what many care about is how each candidate plans to tackle the war in Ukraine. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have very different perspectives on the issue. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The ancient remains of 12 humans were discovered recently in a tomb at Petra's famous Treasury or Khazneh" site. The site is most famous for scenes filmed there for the original "Indiana Jones" movie. Host Marco Werman speaks with Megan Perry, a professor in the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University, about the significance of the discovery.

There are eight countries that have territory in the Arctic, and up until a couple of weeks ago, the US was the only one that did not have diplomatic representation in the region. Now, a geographer from Alaska will fill the role of Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs. Emily Schwing reports from Anchorage, Alaska.

A criminal network in Italy was faking French red wine. That's according to the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation. The price tag for a bottle: more than $16,000. Host Marco Werman spoke to wine fraud consultant Mads Duus Pedersen.

The governor of La Rioja province in Argentina has put an alternate currency called "chachos" into circulation. Printing and distributing the new local currency is meant to offset the sky-rocketing inflation of the national currency. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain that it's also a rebuke to President Javier Milei's economic policies.

The Israeli military says it has killed Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. Some now see an opportunity for Israel to declare victory and negotiate an end to the war. But as The World's Shirin Jaafari reports, it's not clear whether that's the direction things will actually go.

On Wednesday, Italy passed the most restrictive law against international surrogacy in the West. It threatens jail time for would-be parents who use birth mothers abroad. Critics say its target is same-sex couples and that it's Prime Minister Georgia Meloni's latest step to appease hardline conservatives. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Cecilia Emma Sottilotta, a political science professor at the University for Foreigners of Perugia in Italy, about the political and cultural backdrop to this ban.

A referendum on French place names in Nigeria. Bankers on trial in Portugal. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman fill us in on some of the latest news we might have missed.

Entering a seventh straight year of drought, Moroccans are hardly giving up. The country is, instead, pouring resources into adapting to the drier new reality of the future. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Morocco.

This past Sunday at the Chicago Marathon, Ruth Chepng'etich made history. The Kenyan runner won the race and broke the women's world record. The win was so extraordinary that some are questioning whether it's valid, pointing to Kenya's troubled history with doping. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

The Dominican Republic has deported more than 10,000 Haitians in the last week. It's the first of many planned weekly deportations, with a stated goal of removing all of the half million undocumented Haitians who live in the country. The World's Tibisay Zea explains.

Electricity demand is rising across the globe, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Meeting that demand could lead to an increase in global emissions, at a time when countries work to fight climate change. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Tim Gould, the chief energy economist at IEA, about the possible outcomes of this scenario.

Independent Turkish radio station Ack Radyo - or Open Radio - went off the air today, when Turkish authorities revoked its license. The World's Durrie Bouscaren has the story.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy outlined, for his country's parliament, a five-point "victory plan", which he argues could end Russia's war in Ukraine by late next year. What remains unclear is whether he can get the support he needs to carry it out. Host Carolyn Beeler looks at the plan with longtime diplomat Kurt Volker. The former US Ambassador to NATO and former US special representative for Ukraine negotiations is currently a distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Meteorites from Argentina are sold at rock and mineral shops across the world. But they are all, most likely, illegally obtained, as the buying and selling of meteorites is prohibited in Argentina. Reporter Michael Fox traces a meteorite necklace bought at a shop in Virginia to its source at the Campo del Cielo meteorite field in Argentina, and learns more about the thefts of meteorites and efforts to prevent them.

The initial findings of the Tanager-1 satellite are in. They've detected methane plumes in Pakistan, Texas and South Africa. Host Marco Werman speaks with Riley Duren, a former NASA engineer and now the CEO of Carbon Mapper, about what this means.