The World: Latest Stories

Forty-seven-year-old Natalia Nagovistyna's husband, Sergey, died on a peak in Kyrgyzstan in 2021, with Natalia refusing to descend without him. This week, after being trapped herself for more than 15 days on an even more dangerous summit nearby, it appears Nagovistyna has met the same fate. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Twenty years ago today, disaster struck New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina arrived. But it wasn't so much the wind that caused destruction, it was when the levees breached, pouring water into the city. Other cities around the globe have suffered from similar circumstances, most notably the Netherlands in 1953 when a high-tide storm breached the dikes, flooding many parts of the country. Dutch engineers have been learning from this disaster ever since. So, in the aftermath of Katrina, experts and engineers in New Orleans looked to the Dutch. One of those experts is David Waggonner, co-founder of the architecture firm Waggonner and Ball. We first spoke to him in 2013, he's back again to speak to Host Marco Werman about the progress made.

The Chilean band Calle Mambo likes to shake things up, both musically and lyrically. Whether its combining Latin rhythms with electronic beats or touching on topics like migration and the environment. It's all there in the title track of the group's latest album "Retumba la Tierra" - the Earth trembles. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

There are few worse feelings than being stuck behind a long line of cars at a traffic light. Now, Google has developed an artificial intelligence program aimed at fixing the problem. It's called Project Green Light, and it analyzes Google Maps data to come up with recommendations for traffic engineers to reduce gridlock and cut emissions. As The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, it's already being used - with success - in cities around the globe.

When people think of asylum seekers, they often picture desperate journeys to the United States. But this year, dozens of Americans, many of them transgender, have been seeking refuge in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands. They say they fear persecution at home. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two genders: male and female. Yet, for US citizens, winning asylum in the Netherlands is anything but straightforward. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

This is the first summer tourism season that international flights have been able to fly into and out of Greenland's capital of Nuuk, using the new international airport that opened in November. It's part of a larger effort to increase tourism, with the government aiming to double tourist visits and boost tourism revenue and employment by the end of the next decade. But with more tourists, there comes more headaches. The World's Carolyn Beeler is just back from Nuuk and brings us her report.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest has been an annual event since 1965. Run by the UK's Natural History Museum in London, this year's contest drew a record-breaking 60,636 entries. The World spoke with the French photographer behind one of top 100 images, depicting a sloth clinging to a fence post in Costa Rica. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Russia's massive overnight strike on Kyiv killed at least 19 people and injured many dozens more. Journalist and Kyiv resident Jared Goyette describes the nightly question that people face: whether to wait out incoming fire or whether the attack is severe enough to go to a shelter. Goyette describes what last night was like to Host Marco Werman.

As many as 19 people were killed in overnight Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, making it the deadliest attack on the city since July. The missiles also hit the European Union's headquarters in the city, bringing heavy condemnation from European leaders, who feel increasingly responsible for the success of peace talks. To learn more about the latest on the diplomatic front, Host Marco Werman spoke to Nicu Popescu, the head of the European Security Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

A top United Nations official in Jerusalem says that the situation in Gaza is sinking deeper into disaster, marked by rapidly mounting civilian casualties, mass displacement and, now, famine." Meanwhile, in the West Bank, things continue to "spiral dangerously downward," according to Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. But in Israel, there are signs people are growing weary of the war, even as Israel's government plans a new offensive centered on Gaza City. The World's Matthew Bell has the latest.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom today triggered the snapback mechanism to end sanctions relief against Iran. Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and curator of "The Iranist" newsletter, speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about the implications.

From the first green plums of spring to late summer pomegranates, a seven-acre public fruit garden in Istanbul, Turkey, allows visitors to pick their own produce. The project is part of a growing global trend to plant fruit trees in public spaces for everyone to enjoy. But it's not an entirely new practice. Centuries ago, most humans probably had a "food forest" right next door. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

Two years have passed since the leader of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary force, was killed in a suspicious plane crash. Since then, Wagner forces deployed in the West African country of Mali have "melted down" says a new investigative report from The Sentry. Host Marco Werman gets the latest from The Sentry's executive director, Justyna Gudzowska.

The Circling Sun is a jazz collective that hails from Auckland, New Zealand, or as the ensemble refers to its country in the Maori language: Aotearoa. There are nods in the music to Maori culture, but the group's main influence is Brazilian jazz from the 1970s. Co-hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman give the group a listen.

If you flew anywhere this summer, you were probably offered the option of buying a carbon offset when you bought your tickets. It's an option that's marketed as a way to support forestry or renewable energy projects, to offset the carbon emissions of the trip you're taking. Deutsche Welle, DW's Kathleen Schuster examined whether offset credits actually do what they promise, in this excerpt from the DW's environment podcast "Living Planet."

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has taken flak for filming scenes for an epic reimagining of Homer's "The Odyssey" in Western Sahara, a territory occupied by Morocco. Activists warn that Morocco doesn't give human rights observers and journalists the same warm welcome Nolan received. The World's Host Marco Werman got insight into the issue with Maria Carrion, the executive director of FiSahara, an annual film festival that spotlights the work of the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara. She's based in Madrid.

Some foreign shippers are suspending US package deliveries as a customs tax exemption for low-value goods comes to an end this Friday. Andy Wu, an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, talks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about the implications of the global delivery pause.

Like many contact sports, rugby has a high risk of injury. One of the most serious ones players face is a concussion. Now, at the Women's Rugby World Cup in England, a new tool could help reduce the risk of concussions on the field. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Host Marco Werman introduces us to Leonid & Friends, an ensemble of Russian, Ukrainian and Moldovan musicians who cover American pop music.

A bloody civil war is ripping through one of the world's most powerful drug cartels, just 600 miles from the US border. In the city of Culiacan, in western Mexico, thousands have been killed or disappeared since violence erupted a year ago. Reporter Tibisay Zea visits the city to hear how daily life has been reshaped by fear, grief and economic collapse.

It started with an accidental fire, and it's led to a new way of holding foreign governments accountable. A wildfire in central Kenya, four years ago, destroyed 12,000 acres of land. The blaze was started by a British soldier's kerosene stove. Now, the British government has agreed to settle a civil lawsuit over the fire.

Tens of thousands of people worldwide are being pushed to the edge of starvation due to drought. In some places, drought conditions are harming wildlife, livestock and straining ecosystems. But not all of these droughts are the same. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with professor Melinda Smith of Colorado State University about the many different types of droughts, how they affect the environment and why understanding the differences is key to building resilience.

Making coffins is a grim job, but one could argue that someone has to do it. And in Ghana, coffin makers have turned it into an art form - building fantasy coffins despite the occasional raised eyebrows. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman's story is a favorite from The World's archives.This story originally aired on Feb. 18, 2022.

India's parliament has banned online gambling platforms. Of particular concern to the Indian tech industry is the hit to fantasy sports platforms, including popular, homegrown cricket apps. Manoj Sharma, a professor of social and behavioral health at the University of Nevada, tells The World's Host Marco Werman how the ban gained momentum in the first place: Online gaming losses, he says, have devastated lives for many middle-class Indian families.

There's been an uptick in pirate attacks on shipping through the Strait of Malacca. That's according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. Host Marco Werman dug into that news with Peter Lehr, an expert in modern piracy and maritime terrorism at the University of St. Andrew's in Scotland.

The case of an elderly man found criminally guilty - then aquitted - of killing an intruder on his property must still pay civil damages to the victim's family. Lacking the money, he and his lawyers decided to channel outrage on the political right into a GoFundMe campaign. And it's working. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

I hope that one day, even for just one day, I could sleep peacefully, without fear." That's a statement from a 19-year-old who has been living through Israel's war in Gaza for the past 22 months. For those living in war zones, a comfortable night's sleep can be nearly impossible. From Ukraine to Gaza, fighting continues at night and it robs people of one of the most basic human needs. The World's Shirin Jaafari has the story.

Protests have erupted across the UK in the past few days over hotels housing asylum seekers. In Perth, Scotland, crowds waved signs reading Perth is full, empty the hotels" and chanted send them home." The unrest follows a High Court ruling in London last week ordering one hotel to stop housing asylum seekers. The UK government says it will appeal the ruling but several local councils now say they plan to launch their own legal challenges. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

As the Trump administration ramps up immigration arrests, flooding the streets of Los Angeles with masked agents, it's stripping half a million people of protections that allowed them to enter the country legally. One of those people is a Nicaraguan journalist who escaped a crackdown on the free press in her homeland, and recently landed in the Bay Area. From KQED in San Francisco Tyche Hendricks reports.

The Lithuanian capital Vilnius hosted a corgi competition over the weekend. There were featured costume contests, time trials and races. More than a hundred of the cute, "vertically-challenged" Welsh dogs turned out for the event, coming from more than a half dozen countries. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Tensions are escalating between the US and Venezuela. In recent weeks, the US sent warships to waters off Venezuela's coast. In response, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on Venezuelans to join the civilian militia, with thousands of people signing up over the weekend. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with professor and Venezuela expert David Smilde about what is driving this conflict.

It's the last days of summer and many of us might be looking for a final road trip or holiday. Indian journalist Akshobh Giridhadas loves to travel and, on a trip to the Indian Himalayas many years ago, encountered some unexpected hospitality. He shared his adventure with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is under house arrest and facing trial for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election. The case has split the country and drawn sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump - who has imposed tariffs and called the prosecution a witch hunt." In Brazil, people are debating what justice, accountability and democracy really mean. Reporter Tibisay Zea takes us to the streets of Sao Paulo, where voices on both sides speak out.

Japan recently opened its first power plant to run on osmotic power, which uses the natural process of osmosis to produce electricity. The first operational osmotic power plant opened in Denmark a couple of years ago, and some see this so-called "blue energy" as another sustainable source of power. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Bruce Logan, a professor of Environmental Engineering at Penn State.

South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung met US President Donald Trump today at the White House. There was a lot riding on the summit, which was the first time Lee sat down with Trump face-to-face. The meeting did not break major news, but it appeared to go well after Lee showered praise on Trump for his global leadership. The World's Matthew Bell talks with Host Carolyn Beeler about the meeting.

In Barcelona, outside of the surrealist Sagrada Familia church, a lone engraver of glass leans into a grindstone, six long days a week. His name is Toni Moya, and he's among the last of his kind in Spain. A craftsman etching the finest of designs, by hand, into high-end crystal cups, glasses and vases. Earlier this year, The World's Gerry Hadden took us into his workshop.This story originally aired on Feb. 28, 2025.

The skeletal remains of more than 140 people have been unearthed at the site of a mass grave in northern Sri Lanka. They are thought to belong to the island's minority ethnic Tamil community killed during Sri Lanka's civil war, which stretched from 1983 until 2009, and killed more than 70,000 people. Brito Fernando is the president of the activist organization Families of the Disappeared and spoke to The World's Host Carolyn Beeler from Negombo in Sri Lanka.

In Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, in Canada, a nonprofit is expanding a living shoreline designed to protect the community, and it's historic buildings, from climate-fueled storms. The project uses rocks, newly-planted wetlands and berms to disperse wave energy before it reaches the shore. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Brooke Nodding of the group Coastal Action to learn more about this climate solution for the series The Big Fix.

The taste of water is often glazed over, but a growing group of professional water sommeliers are hoping to bring the world's attention to the different kinds of H2O. The World's Bianca Hillier has the story.This story originally aired on Oct. 27, 2021.

US President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Brazilian goods - in what many see as a political favor to his ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, now on trial for attempting to overturn Brazil's 2022 election. But instead of pressuring Brazil's government, the move has backfired. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Sao Paulo state, where the tariffs are hurting local industries - and rallying Brazilians around the idea of sovereignty.

The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the largest and most chaotic arts festivals in the world. With 3,800 shows expected this year, it's a launchpad for breakout careers like "Fleabag" and "Baby Reindeer." It's also a grueling, emotionally raw test of endurance for emerging performers from around the world. Rebecca Rosman reports from Edinburgh, Scotland.

More than half a million people are facing famine in Gaza, according to the international global hunger monitor, IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification). The UN-backed group said today that people in Gaza City and its surrounding areas are impacted the most, but that if no action is taken, famine will reach other areas of the territory. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek is walking from Ethiopia to Chile on the Out of Eden Walk. But as he tells The World, "people are my destination." The story of the walk unfolds through conversations he has with the people he meets along the way. He speaks to Host Carolyn Beeler about the everyday chitchats that have become essential to his travels.

Human rights organizations report that militant groups committed a number of atrocities in occupied areas of Democratic Republic of Congo, including gang rape and summary executions of civilians. Host Marco Werman speaks to Tigere Chagutah, regional director for East and Southern Africa for Amnesty International, about the organization's report published yesterday.

Denmark is getting rid of its 25% tax on books. According to government officials, the move is meant to address a reading crisis. Host Marco Werman speaks with book historian Tina Lupton about the state of reading in Denmark and whether this change is an effective way to tackle the challenge.

Emily Scarratt has been a fixture on England's national women's rugby team since 2008. As she enters her fifth World Cup, Scarratt speaks with The World's Bianca Hillier about just how much the game has grown during her career.

With recent releases by massive artists like Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro, younger Latino generations are starting to rediscover salsa music and, with it, its history and foundations. Miguel Santiago Colon reports.

Last week, the African Union voiced support for the adoption of a map that more accurately displays Africa's true size. Host Marco Werman speaks to one of the creators of that map - the 2018 Equal Earth projection - Bojan avri. He joined the show from the International Cartographic Conference in Vancouver, Canada.

A mysterious object, believed to be billions of years old, is hurtling through our solar system. Thought to be only the third known interstellar visitor ever observed, it has astronomers racing to study it while it's still visible. Michele Bannister, a lecturer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, tells Host Marco Werman why this rare traveler from the depths of interstellar space is capturing scientists' attention.

A group of Hong Kong filmmakers released an anthology of five short films in 2015. That was right after large scale pro-democracy protests, called the Umbrella Movement, took place in 2014. At the time, pictures of protestors holding up umbrellas to deflect tear gas canisters made headlines around the world. Each director was to envision what the city would be like in the year 2025. As Alan Yu reports from WHYY, the film - called "Ten Years" - painted a dystopian picture of Hong Kong's future.