The World: Latest Stories

Paris hosted the closing ceremony for the Paris Olympics over the weekend, but some of the biggest stories from the Games continue to develop. The World's Bianca Hillier shares the latest with host Marco Werman.

Access to Instagram was restored to people in Turkey over the weekend, about a week after the government blocked the app. Turkey's transportation and infrastructure minister claimed that Instagram promised to ban the accounts of Kurdish groups that Turkey considers to be terrorist organizations. Host Marco Werman has more.

The beachside community of Samanda was devastated by last year's earthquakes in southern Turkey, which killed roughly 60,000 people. Today, a small surf center introduces local teenagers to the sport - and a way to process trauma while facing fear. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports from Hatay.

A revolutionary war is raging across Myanmar, forcing the country's military regime out of towns and cities at astonishing speed. Resistance forces say they're fighting to liberate Myanmar. They intend to rebuild it into a freer place with less oppression. But one of the country's ethnic minorities, the Rohingya - a Muslim group - is reportedly under fire from one of the country's resistance groups. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

Violent protests among far-right groups rocked the UK after three girls were fatally stabbed in the town of Southport two weeks ago. The killings were falsely blamed on a Muslim immigrant. The messaging platform, Telegram, had one 15,000 member group devoted to protesting and now authorities are wondering whether Telegram's moderation is too permissive. Darren Loucaides has reported on Telegram for Wired and is covering its role in the riots in the UK.

On Sunday, wildfires broke out in Greece, north of the capital Athens. Thousands of people have been evacuated from residential areas near the flames. In response, Greece's government has deployed hundreds of firefighters and more than two dozen water-dropping planes. Host Marco Werman speaks with Greek reporter Daphne Tolis about the situation on the ground.

A filmmaker from Ventura County has turned the real-life tale of a cargo ship which was attacked by a German battleship into a compelling audio movie starring Hollywood A-Listers. As KCLU's Caroline Feraday reports, it's now one of the most-popular podcasts in the country.

The International Olympic Committee said today that more than half of the world's population is expected to watch this year's Olympic Games before they end on Sunday. The World's Bianca Hillier shares the latest news from Team Botswana, and previews this weekend's historic marathon route.

Alarm is growing among health officials about the increasing cases of the Mpox virus across Africa. While Mpox has been endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo for decades, several nearby countries have recorded their first-ever cases in recent months. The World Health Organization is set to deliberate on whether the recent wave of outbreaks amounts to an international public health emergency. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports from Kenya.

The UK has fined its water companies more than $200 million for releasing raw sewage into rivers and waterways. It marks a new effort to tackle a decades-long problem of water pollution. Leo Hornak reports on how the British are trying to address it.

Russian strikes in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region have killed 11 people and injured 37 others. It comes as Ukraine's incursion into Russian territory continues into its fourth day, with Russia declaring a state of emergency in its Khersk region. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with John Nagl, professor of warfighting studies at the US Army War College, about the logic behind Ukraine's incursion into Russian territory and how this can be understood by Ukraine's allies.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ramping up a censorship campaign after a presidential election was widely condemned as fraudulent. But inside Venezuela, local journalists are finding creative ways to bypass censorship and deliver independent news to their communities. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from the capital of Caracas.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Perseid meteor shower will hit its peak on Sunday and Monday. It's caused by the Earth orbiting through the tail of a comet. The debris in the tail crashes through the Earth's atmosphere and makes the meteors you see - if you can see them at all. Dark skies are getting harder to find. But some places are now trying to protect their dark nighttime skies. Bjarne Sorenson helped create a dark sky preserve in Denmark. He joins The World's Host Carolyn Beeler for a conversation about light pollution, and growing efforts to fight it.

A museum in the southern French city of Marseille is encouraging visitors to enjoy art au naturel. That is to say, without clothes on. The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations' latest exhibition is devoted to living naked" and charts the history of nudism over the last century. The World's Sarah Birnbaum asks art professionals to make the case for nude museum-going.

The Olympics are coming to a close this weekend. But that's not the only big international sporting event. There's a World Cup soccer tournament too - though it may not be the one you're thinking of. GBH's Sam Turken explains.

This week, close calls have led to medals being awarded, then revoked when, on further review, athletes have lost spots they thought they'd secured on the podium. Host Marco Werman takes stock of change-ups in gymnastics and track.

Bagpipes blaring across a lush green rural landscape are typically associated with the Scottish Highlands. But it's in rural Bulgaria that thousands of bagpipe enthusiasts gather for the annual bagpipe festival in the village of Gera. Bagpipes date back hundreds of years in Bulgaria, particularly in the country's stunning Rhodope Mountains. Reporter Jamie Fullerton has the story.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek tells host Marco Werman about his walk through India's northeastern region, where he traced the steps of Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha. He also regales us with tales of a brickyard, where laborers make building blocks for 21st-century India, and a village where people make everything out of bamboo.

Security forces in Venezuela are going door-to-door to round up opposition activists as part of a government crackdown called Operation knock-knock." Venezuela's opposition party insists it won last month's election, contradicting President Nicolas Maduro, who has declared victory. Alfredo Romero, head of the human rights organization Foro Penal in Caracas, discusses the situation with The World's Host Marco Werman.

In coming weeks, the World Health Organization says it will send more than a million polio vaccines to Gaza, with the goal of vaccinating 600,000 children under 8 years old. The World's Host Marco Werman has more.

Standing on a stage, flanked by flags and military officers, Muhummad Yunus was sworn in as the head of Bangladesh's interim government today. Yunus is a Nobel laureate and he had popular support from student protesters and others who forced out former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this week. Host Marco Werman has more.

Instagram has gone dark in Turkey - after the Turkish government unexpectedly blocked the app late last week. The move does not bode well for a community of small, Instagram-based businesses in Turkey. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

Ex-Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has been in exile in Belgium for much of the last seven years after staging an illegal vote putting separation from Spain on the ballot. The independence leader came back this morning with a message: "I'm still relevant." Then he vanished again, sparking a nation-wide manhunt. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Catalonia, Spain.

Each year in Japan, commemoration ceremonies are held to mark the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This year, the US ambassador to Japan will not be attending. The US embassy says Ambassador Rahm Emmanuel will skip the ceremony on Friday because the event has been politicized" by a decision to exclude Israel. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Thailand's progressive political party is no more. Courts ordered Move Forward, one of the country's most popular parties, to disband. Its leaders are also barred from politics for 10 years, striking a heavy blow to Thailand's youthful reform movement. The World's Patrick Winn reports from Bangkok.

Olympic soccer has been filled with nail-biters and drama, in both the men's and women's competitions. As the finals draw near, the best remaining teams fight for a chance to reach the high podium. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Marseille, France, where some of the matches are taking place.

China is one of the biggest sources of precursor chemicals used by Mexican cartels to make fentanyl. Much of that synthetic opioid ends up in the US, and fentanyl overdoses are currently the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Now, Beijing has agreed to step up control of the production of some of those chemicals. Host Marco Werman gets analysis from Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Russia has reported Ukrainian troop movements into the southern Russian territory of Khersk. It marks a significant shift in strategy for Ukraine following a failed counteroffensive earlier this spring and loss of territory recently to Russia. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Alina Polyakova, President and CEO of Center for European Policy Analysis, about what these military movements mean for Ukraine and what leverage both sides are trying to gain prior to any potential peace talks to end the war.

Violence against women has reached "epidemic levels" in England and Wales and needs to be treated as a national emergency, according to UK police chiefs. More than 1 million violent crimes against women and girls were recorded by British police between 2022 and 2023. But women's rights groups say those figures only tell half the story. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry has more. And a listener warning: This story contains descriptions of violence.

Young musicians from South America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East have convened at New York City's Carnegie Hall for World Orchestra Week. Jeff Lunden has the story.

DJ and producer Hilder Brando is KillaBeatMaker. He's been at it for the past 25 years, searching for musicians to join his collective. He says the current incarnation of the group is what he's been looking for all along. KillaBeatMaker's latest album is called "Inga.'"

Hamas has a new leader, Yahya Sinwar. The longtime Hamas official is said to be one of the main planners of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Harel Chorev, a senior researcher at the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, about what Sinwar's leadership means for the prospect of a ceasefire agreement.

Last week, the US, along with several European countries pulled off the biggest prisoner exchange with Russia since the Cold War. Several Americans convicted in Russia on trumped-up charges were set free. But not just Americans - most of the political prisoners released by the Kremlin were Russian dissidents. The World's Daniel Ofman reports from Riga, Latvia, on what's next for Russian politicians in exile.

A federal judge in the US has ruled that Google is a monopoly. It's considered a massive ruling against one of the world's most valuable companies. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Zach Meyers, assistant director at the Center for European reform, about the consequences of this ruling for Google in its global operations and whether or not it aligns the US closer to Europe's antitrust position.

"What's next?": That's the question for Bangladesh after the dramatic exit of the country's longest serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. The key players in determining the next government are the Bangladeshi military, student protest leaders and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Shafqat Munir, a research fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, a think tank in the capital, Dhaka.

About 40 people have been arrested in northern Nigeria for waving Russia's national flag during protests. Those arrested included several Nigerian tailors who stitched together the iconic white, blue and red striped banners of the Russian Federation. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the story.

Tuareg separatist fighters in the north of Mali have been battling the central government to carve out their own swathe of territory in the vast desert on the border of Algeria. The Tuaregs have forged a temporary alliance with a jihadist group there called Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) to battle soldiers from the Malian central government and the Russian paramilitary forces they've hired as mercenaries. In a remarkable ambush, the rebels claim to have killed more than a hundred government troops and Russian paramilitaries. The ambush was supported with Ukrainian intelligence. Philip Obaji Jr., a correspondent for the Daily Beast who follows Russia's operations on the African continent, explains how the ambush played out and its significance.

For more than a century, the old whaling town of New Bedford, Massachusetts, has hosted the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. The event celebrates Portuguese culture. But this year, for the first time - and under threat of a lawsuit - women are allowed to join the Feast Committee. Reporter Jennette Barnes of WCAI has the story.

Some of the most established Olympic sports get the most attention, like gymnastics, soccer and track and field. But one of the newer Olympic sports - sport climbing - offers a ton of excitement, too. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Monday saw a nail-biting drop in world financial markets, with Japan's benchmark Nikkei index precipitating the day's decline. Today, things aren't quite "back to normal," but the Nikkei rose more than 10% and US and European markets are up as well. Host Carolyn Beeler explains.

An Israeli food tech startup called Forsea is working with Japanese partners to develop artificially grown eel cells, intended to eventually yield edible unagi. Experts are hopeful that cultivated meat and seafood can help prevent the next pandemic. Host Marco Werman reports.

Nearly 400 people were arrested in about a dozen cities across the United Kingdom over the weekend during riots that followed the murder of three young children in the town of Southport. The deadly knife attack was wrongly blamed on a Muslim immigrant, sparking anti-immigration riots. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports on what the British prime minister has called "far-right thuggery."

Jubilant scenes emerged from the capital Dhaka today after the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year rule came to an end after weeks of violent clashes with protesters that left more than 300 people dead. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Waliur Rahman, a Bangladeshi journalist, about the scenes from Dhaka today, and what might come next for the country.

A confluence of monetary policy in Japan and the condition of the US economy have prompted a widespread stock sell-off. Japan's stock market dropped the most in a single day since 1987. Simon Rabinovitch, an editor at The Economist, explains the factors driving the market the drop.

South Africa's Soweto Gospel Choir and Australian DJ Groove Terminator team up for a new album that's connects House beats with African music. It's music for the club, not the church. The album is called, "History of House." Grammy-winning producer Latroit and Shimmy, co-music director and conductor of the Soweto Gospel Choir, speak with The World's host, Marco Werman.

In a plea deal announced last week, three defendants accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks were spared the death penalty. Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked that agreement. The World's host, Marco Werman, speaks with two grieving relatives whose reactions differ: Glenn Morgan, whose father died in the World Trade Center's North Tower, and Terry Strada, who lost her husband when the World Trade Center collapsed.

It's the largest drumming orchestra in the Americas, and the largest recurring annual drumming event in the world. Every year, hundreds of drummers play together in downtown Florianopolis, Brazil. Reporter Mike Fox brings us the story of the great rock 'n' roll event that took place this weekend.

It's been five years since India revoked the special status of Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority state in the country. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims the change has brought "normalcy" and economic prosperity to a region with a history of violence. But as Sushmita Pathak reports, people on the ground in Kashmir feel a greater sense of powerlessness, not prosperity, since 2019.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif started her week with a request: that people stop bullying her. The athlete, who has been falsely described as transgender, has found herself at the center of a debate about "protecting women's sports." The International Olympics Committee has dismissed the controversy around Khelif and another boxer, Lin Yu-Ting as a culture-war issue, and not an argument about sports. Host Carolyn Beeler gets the story from The World's Bianca Hillier.

Police in the UK are bracing for a weekend of trouble following reports that far-right protests are being organized in cities across the country. The demonstrations were sparked by a mass stabbing earlier this week in Southport, a seaside town along England's west coast, which was falsely attributed to a Muslim immigrant. Carolyn Beeler speaks with The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry.