The World: Latest Stories

The scenes in Iran mirror the coronavirus outbreaks in Wuhan, China, northern Italy, and now, New York City. At least 2,234 people have died in Iran as of today, according to the government — although outside observers believe the number is far higher.

Leaders around the world have promised their citizens that grocery stores will stay open, even in the places most impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. But people are still making sure they have essentials on hand. What does “stocking up” look like for people around the world?

When it comes to the spread of COVID-19, personal choices matter. One infected person staying home instead of going out could save thousands of lives.

As the number of coronavirus cases in early epicenters like Wuhan and Daegu declines, there could be second and third waves of the virus, says Dr. Gabriel Leung. That pattern may play out elsewhere in the world until human beings acquire immunity or develop a vaccine.

Former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leon Panetta speaks with The World about the role of the US military and defense preparedness during the coronavirus pandemic.

The mostly rural, US border region depends on commerce from northern Mexico. But new travel restrictions block cross-border travel for commerce or sightseeing — cutting off US businesses from most of their Mexican customers.

It’s hard explaining to kids what COVID-19 is, much less the new restrictions that come with it. Reporter Ari Daniel spoke to a bunch of families all over the world about their challenges and how they’re making do.

Hisham Al-Omeisy, a Yemeni activist living in exile, speaks with the The World's host Marco Werman about the war and the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bored yet? Our listeners have some tips on how to deal with self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.

Experts say India's lockdown measures against the spread of COVID-19 are “essential” and a “prudent decision” — but without more support for India's daily earners, it risks failure.

Prisoners are at high risk for contracting the coronavirus. To protect them, prison management and governments must lessen prison populations by releasing people, says the executive director of Penal Reform International.

With Spain’s public health system buckling under the pressure of COVID-19, the private sector is expected to step up and help.

After years of repeated bushfires, some of Australia’s forests can no longer grow back on their own, so humans are giving them a helping hand by carefully collecting and distributing their seeds.

While daily life in the US and elsewhere can feel like a deluge of COVID-19 news and updates, most people in Kashmir haven’t been able to access basic information on the internet about how they can protect themselves.

As a home health aide who does not have health insurance herself, Leticia Arcila, a 19-year-old voter, thought Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ "Medicare for All" plan sounded appealing. As the coronavirus outbreak spread, the need for a health care plan that covers everyone never seemed so important.

Many places around the world are synonymous with their alcoholic beverage of choice — German beer, Kentucky bourbon, London dry gin. Now, many producers are adding hand sanitizer to their production line.

Antonio Castillo, a Mexican American immigrant and breakdancer, is behind an effort to field the first Team USA for breakdancing — which could debut as an Olympic sport as soon as the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

The move to online classes is just one response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and many other places are taking similar measures.

This family of four ended up being the sole detainees of an Australian immigration detention center in the middle of the Indian Ocean for months.

The coronavirus crisis forces everyone in the world to reevaluate their values and consider the ways that society could look different — which could be a boon for large-scale climate action.

Italy has suffered the world’s deadliest outbreak of the respiratory pandemic, and some of the patients are health workers who fell ill caring for others.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said two members of the ICC prosecutor’s staff were driving a political effort to use the ICC to investigate Americans. In response, the ICC released a statement on March 19 that pointedly called those comments by Pompeo “threats.”

In the US, there's a shortage of medical supplies, and that's partly due to a trade policy of Washington's own making — tariffs imposed on Chinese imports by the Trump White House.

Russia's reported cases of the novel coronavirus are comparatively low. Some doctors say that's because cases are being misclassified.

But some claim that the virus hit North Korea in late December.

While public health and medical workers worldwide agree on the urgency of the pandemic, human rights observers say they are becoming increasingly concerned with how some political leaders in Central America may use their emergency powers.

Asked why he was putting it into action now, Trump told reporters it would be used to ensure that US states could get masks and other equipment needed to fight the virus.

The US-Canada border is set to close Friday except for non-essential workers as both countries work to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. That's a big disruption for the people of Windsor, Ontario.

Usually, an international student visa only allows for one online course. So, students panicked as colleges announced that classes were moving online.

Dominica, devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017, wants to be an example of how to build back better.

The US can learn from free tuition policies implemented in other countries, particularly in Europe. Still, free tuition alone won’t close the inequality gap in higher education.

Prospects for multilateral diplomacy seem increasingly dim as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic — and that's a problem, says Susan Rice, former national security adviser and US ambassador to the UN.

As one of the world's biggest users of plastic, China recently unveiled a major plan to phase out single-use plastics across the country.

Numerous arts institutions are finding creative ways to display their works while their physical doors are closed.

More than 9,300 people have died from COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak in late December, but Africa has been one of the last continents to be touched by the virus, and so far, spared from the worst of it.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia has COVID-19 under control. But a recent EU document says Russian media have deployed a "significant disinformation campaign" against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus.

Qasim Rashid has a personal policy of engaging with people who send him hateful messages.

Restrictions are changing by the hour. But a week ago today, some people in the Italian city were still out and about while also maintaining a social distance.

When will life get back to normal? Can our collective actions stop the global march of the virus? The World's host Marco Werman posed those questions to Dr. Michael Mina, an infectious disease specialist at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

You may know Mr. Motivator from his hit '90s exercise routines — or his neon spandex. Now he's offering some quick tips on staying fit, even under quarantine.

Mexico’s approach is much less stringent than those of its Central American neighbors, which have virtually closed their borders despite reporting only a handful of cases.

British Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in Iran in 2016 under charges of espionage. Now she's been furloughed as Iran hopes to ease the transmission of COVID-19 among its prison population.

Several relief organizations have announced the elimination of non-critical missions to limit staff exposure to the virus.

Across the nation, Latino voters have tended to favor Democratic candidate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. That’s not always the case in Florida, where the Latino community is very diverse and tends to lean more conservative.

Many are collaborating across national borders and the public and private sectors to speed the process.

There should have been corned beef, bagpipe music and parades, but instead, pubs and restaurants are closed down as countries deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac is trying to make St. Patrick's Day special for those stuck at home.

There are urgent calls from immigrant and civil rights organizations for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release the most vulnerable immigrant detainees — at least — for health safety reasons amid the continued spread of the novel coronavirus.

Denmark's government is counting on most Danes to react to widespread closures with an attitude of social solidarity.

Ali, an 18-year-old from Syria, arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos after Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan announced he would open the border to Europe. Now, he is stuck in a makeshift camp.