by editors@theworld.org on (#6M4CB)
A roundup of offbeat and other stories from across the globe you may have missed by hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler.
The World: Latest Stories
| Link | https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world |
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| Updated | 2026-05-22 10:02 |
by editors@theworld.org (Joyce Hackel) on (#6M4CA)
US officials say they hope Israel's tensions with Iran don't widen and deepen. At the same time, Israel's military chief now says that his armed forces will respond to Iran's weekend missile attack. Retired Adm. John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, talks with host Marco Werman about the role the US will play as its ally Israel decides how to retaliate.
by editors@theworld.org (Carol Hills) on (#6M4C9)
Coral reefs from Australia to North America are experiencing their fourth global bleaching event in the past 30 years. That's according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch. Scientists worry that the coral reefs won't be able to survive continued rising sea temperatures. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with reef expert David Obura, founding director of CORDIO East Africa.
by editors@theworld.org (Omar Duwaji) on (#6M4C8)
A massive blaze at Copenhagen's old stock exchange building destroyed much of the building, including its iconic spiral. Firefighters and volunteers worked to save priceless art and valuables at the site. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Mark Isitt, a Swedish architecture critic who lives in Copenhagen, about what's been lost and how Copenhagen residents will remember the building.
by editors@theworld.org (Marco Werman) on (#6M3FH)
There is a small population of Palestinians and Arabs, about 20%, who are Israeli citizens and have all the rights of the country. That includes political leaders. Sami Abu Shehahdeh is a former member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset and chairman of the Balad Party. This party represents the interests of Palestinians and Arab Israelis. Host Marco Werman spoke with Shehadeh at his office in Jaffa about the current situation in Gaza and what it means for the future of both sides in this war.
by editors@theworld.org (Marco Werman) on (#6M3FG)
Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones toward Israel Saturday night in a barrage that might prove a turning point in regional hostilities. Israel and its allies intercepted almost all of the missiles and drones, after Iran announced the attack in advance. The World's team in Jerusalem recorded these sounds before running down into a shelter on Saturday night. They then made their way to Amman, Jordan, where Marco Werman and Matthew Bell filed this dispatch.
by editors@theworld.org on (#6M3FF)
We look at how Iran's attack on Israel is seen inside Iran.
by editors@theworld.org (Jeremy Seigel) on (#6M3FE)
The musical instrument called the kora has been played almost exclusively by men since the 13th century, strictly passed down as a family tradition in West Africa. But one musician has changed everything: Sona Jobarteh, the first woman from a Griot family to become a professional kora player. GBH reporter Jeremy Seigel recently spoke with Jobarteh.
by editors@theworld.org (Sarah Birnbaum) on (#6M3FD)
Two mass stabbings in Sydney over the weekend has many Australians reeling. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports on Saturday's attack that took place at a popular shopping center that left six people dead.
by editors@theworld.org (Sonia Narang) on (#6M3FC)
Joleen Mitton is a former model in Vancouver who has started the city's Indigenous Fashion Week. After a career as a model in Asian, Mitton's influence is spreading in the fashion world in other parts of North America. Sonia Narang has this profile of Mitton from Vancouver.
by editors@theworld.org (Joyce Hackel) on (#6M3FB)
Israel is weighing how to respond after Iran's unprecedented assault that included more than 300 drones and missiles launched against it on Saturday. The Biden administration is urging Israel to proceed with caution, saying it will not join in any retaliatory strikes. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ian Bremmer, president and founder of the Eurasia Group.
by editors@theworld.org (Alexa Dvorson) on (#6M3FA)
In uncertain times, a regular dose of laughter goes a long way. Reporter Alexa Dvorson went to Berlin, Germany, to see for herself.
by editors@theworld.org (Joy Hackel) on (#6M3CV)
Ten years ago, hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls were abducted and spirited away by the militant group called Boko Haram. Some of the young women managed to escape. Nigerian soldiers rescued others. Today, more than 90 remain missing. Some have died; others are still being held. Journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani tells The World's Carolyn Beeler why some of those who were kidnapped remain married to those who captured them.
by editors@theworld.org (Omar Duwaji) on (#6M3CT)
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk is instituting a series of reforms, with education being one of his targets. Under the new rules, teachers don't have to give homework to children in the first to third grades. It's optional until grade nine.
by editors@theworld.org (Patrick Winn) on (#6M3CS)
Humans and monkeys once peacefully coexisted in Lopburi, a mid-sized city in Thailand, but no more. Its downtown is overrun with more than 2,000 long-tailed macaques, snatching food and belongings from passersby. Wildlife authorities say the monkeys expanded turf during lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic with the alpha males now acting like gang leaders. The World's Patrick Winn reports that they are proving difficult to dislodge.
by editors@theworld.org (Patti Daniels) on (#6M3CR)
One year after a vicious war broke out in Sudan, the conflict has killed nearly 16,000 people, displaced millions and pushed the country to the brink of famine. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with U-S Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello about efforts to get more aid into the country, and bring the warring factions to the negotiating table.
by editors@theworld.org (Bianca Hillier) on (#6M3CQ)
Barilla - the Italian pasta company - has released a six-song Al Bronzo Soundtrack." They say the soundtrack is scientifically designed to enhance the taste and texture of their pasta. A University of Oxford experimental psychologist, who worked on the project, says the science behind this is real. The World's Bianca Hillier looks at what's known as "sonic seasoning."
by editors@theworld.org (Tinku Ray) on (#6M3CP)
The biggest issue in Israel today is the fate of the 133 hostages still held captive in Gaza. Israel says according to military intelligence, 33 of them are dead. Demonstrators have held sit-ins, marches and protests almost every day over the past six months demanding their return. The World's Marco Werman spoke with Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7. They have just returned from a trip to the U-S where they met with top officials.
by editors@theworld.org (Tibisay Zea) on (#6M3CN)
Mazatlan is home to the traditional music of Mexico, known as banda. With tubas and trombones, enthusiastic musicians go up and down the beaches serenading tourists. But foreigners recently complained, and banda was banned. The World's Mexico correspondent Tibisay Zea reports that the musicians took to the street to make some noise.
by editors@theworld.org (Stephen Snyder) on (#6M3CM)
The World's Marco Werman and Matthew Bell have been on the ground in Israel and the Palestinian West Bank for the past two weeks. The tell hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler that the tension is palpable, even as people dare to hope for a move toward peace.
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by Matthew Bell on (#6KWEM)
On April 5, the final Friday in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan this year - a special time for Muslims worldwide -more than 3,500 Israeli police were deployed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Here, an estimated 57,000 Muslims attended Friday prayers.
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by Matthew Bell on (#6KVKP)
In Israel, most Jewish men are drafted into three years of military service soon after they graduate from high school. Jewish women serve two-year stints. The ultra-Orthodox community has been exempt. But this is beginning to change. Israel's Supreme Court just ruled that religious seminaries called yeshivas are being cut off from government funding because they don't send students into the military.
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by Daniel Ofman on (#6KVEM)
Russia has detained four suspected shooters in the Crocus City Hall mass shooting. The suspects are all from Tajikistan. Now, there are reports in cities across Russia that people from Central Asia are experiencing a rise in harassment, mistreatment and xenophobic behavior.
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by Stephen Snyder on (#6KW4V)
National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek tells host Carolyn Beeler about his first stop after having walked through the Middle East. On Cyprus, he found beaches with baking European tourists, a busy port city and a checkerboard of olive groves and yellow hay fields. But he also found the vestigial border line that divides the island's Greek and Turkish communities, and walked through an abandoned tourist city, a relic of a border war that has never been fully resolved.
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by Hana Baba on (#6KTM2)
Sudanese American Haneen Sidahmed is digitizing cassettes tapes of classic Sudanese songs dating back to the 1960s. In the process, she's created a music archive called Sudan Tapes Archive. Reporter Hana Baba, of station KALW and the podcast, "The Stoop," talked to Sidahmed about how her work has taken on new urgency amid war in Sudan.
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by Joyce Hackel on (#6KSSK)
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed seven aid workers from the relief group World Central Kitchen (WCK) overnight. Among the dead were three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian. The World's host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Sean Carroll, the CEO of ANERA, which works closely with WCK, about the incident.
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by Gerry Hadden on (#6KSZX)
Antoine Carrier, a middle school teacher in Bordeaux, southwest France, stays up late many nights, pen in hand, crafting math rhymes. Online, tens of thousands of kids know him as A'Rieka, the rapping math teacher.
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by Michael Fox on (#6KRZH)
Brazil is remembering the 1964 coup that began on March 31 that year. The event 60 years ago sunk Brazil into a brutal 21-yearlong dictatorship that would last until 1985. Today, the country is still grappling with the meaning and memory of what happened.
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by Matthew Bell on (#6KRZJ)
Demonstrators are calling for new elections to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. They've camped out in front of the Knesset. Protests in Israel are not new, but what is new are the people who've joined ranks in this demonstration. The World's host, Marco Werman, and reporter Matthew Bell are in Jerusalem.
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by Martha Ann Overland, The World staff on (#6KQD6)
Higher education transformed the US into the country it is today. Its premier universities are why the US is the No. 1 choice among international students. But nowhere else is tuition as expensive, and many are in debt.
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by Sushmita Pathak on (#6KQ9E)
India is home to millions of Indigenous people consisting of hundreds of tribes. Now, the followers of Sarnaism want official recognition of their religion by the state.
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by Omar Duwaji on (#6KQD7)
The US is the world's top destination for higher education, with more than 1 million international students generating over $40 billion each year. Their families save up for decades - with their full-fare tuition dollars going to subsidize US students. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks to The Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Karin Fischer, who writes the weekly "Latitudes" newsletter that covers international higher education.
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by Madi Bolaños on (#6KQD8)
International students don't qualify for federal financial aid, and they pay much higher fees at state schools. However, for a group of young Indian science and engineering students getting their master's degrees at San Jose State University, the shot at opportunities and high future earnings are worth it. KQED reporter Madi Bolanos says their cramped shared apartment has not dampened their spirits.
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by Shirin Jaafari on (#6KNPZ)
As part of the effort to get more food and water into Gaza, the Jordanian air force is participating in airdrops into the beleaguered territory. The World's Shirin Jaafari traveled along on one of the flights to see what it takes to get aid into Gaza from above.
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by Dina Temple-Raston on (#6KNHB)
Newly leaked files from a private Chinese hackers-for-hire company provide a fresh look into China's cyber industrial complex" - and it appears to be bigger and more mature than observers had previously imagined. Dina Temple-Raston, host and managing editor of the Recorded Future News podcast Click Here," has the story.
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by Shirin Jaafari on (#6KMVD)
Across northeastern Syria, makeshift refineries pump out fuel for cars, heating and electricity. They are also a major source of income for local residents who have endured more than a decade of conflict. But this critical resource is also harmful.
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by Sarah Ventre on (#6KMSC)
Jews around the world just celebrated the holiday of Purim, which is said to mark the survival of Jews in ancient Persia. In Israel, it is known for being a raucous holiday with parties, costumes, sweets and drinking. But for many Israelis, the war meant this year's holiday felt different.
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by Michael Fox on (#6KMM8)
About a hundred years ago, the Boston-based banana company, United Fruit, reigned supreme in Central America. It didn't just own banana plantations, but also railroads and telephone lines. The company even dictated national policies and overthrew governments. For his podcast Under the Shadow," about US involvement in Central America, Michael Fox traveled to Guatemala, where he looked at the legacy of United Fruit and its impact on the global fruit industry today.
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by Daniel Ofman on (#6KM4D)
Russia is mourning the deadly attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue outside Moscow, on Friday, March 22. Despite many unanswered questions about the attack, the Kremlin is already forming a narrative that will likely have severe political and security implications.
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by Andrea Gutierrez on (#6KQBA)
Community colleges are an attractive option for international students, in part,because they're a fraction of the cost of four-year universities. But higher nonresident tuition fees, ineligibility for state or federal aid and limited options for work can still generate sticker shock for people when they arrive in the US.
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by Stephen Snyder on (#6KJ7D)
National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been recreating the journey, on foot, of the first humans. He tells host Marco Werman about his walk, in 2013, through Jordan into the Israeli occupied West Bank, lands that are both ancient and now part of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
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by Marco Werman, The World staff on (#6KJ39)
University Art Gallery at San Diego State University has just unveiled an exhibit, "The Imaginary Amazon," featuring works by contemporary artists, many of them Indigenous inhabitants of the forest. The artists' intent is to address some of the stereotypical Western perspectives of the Amazon.
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by Kirk Carapezza on (#6KKKQ)
A new report finds Jewish and Muslim students "fear personal danger" related to their positions on the war.
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by Daniel Ofman on (#6KHV6)
Across Europe, the NATO military alliance is conducting its largest exercise since the Cold War, with tens of thousands of troops from 32 countries taking part. NATO officials and European leaders warn that a direct conflict with Russia is becoming an increasing threat.
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by Joyce Hackel on (#6KGDA)
The Dominican Republic has stationed 10,000 soldiers on its border with Haiti. Officials there are worried that chaos in Haiti will send migrants streaming into their country. The Dominican Republic's Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez tells The World's Carolyn Beeler his country's national security is his top priority, and he doesn't back the establishment of a humanitarian corridor into Haiti.
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by Sarah Ventre on (#6KH06)
Neturei Karta is an Orthodox Jewish Haredi sect that takes an anti-Zionist stance. Its members who live in Israel say they do not vote, run for office or take assistance from the government, while openly supporting the return of all of Israel to Palestinians.
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by Sarah Ventre on (#6KGAN)
Neturei Karta is an ultra-orthodox Jewish Haredi sect that takes an anti-Zionist stance. Its members who live in Israel say they do not vote, run for office or take assistance from the government, while openly supporting the return of all of Israel to Palestinians.
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by Joyce Hackel on (#6KG7J)
The Dominican Republic has decided to impose tighter border restrictions to keep people from Haiti out of the country. The World's host, Carolyn Beeler, speaks with Osvaldo Concepcion, a Jesuit priest who works closely with Haitians who have crossed into the Dominican Republic, about the situation.
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by Lindsey Seavert on (#6KGDB)
Artem Fedorenko, 10, has faced many challenges in the past two years since Russia invaded his home country of Ukraine. The fourth grader is missing his left arm, an injury from a bomb. He came to Minnesota with his mother to receive a prosthetic in late 2022. Rice Lake Elementary School in Maple Lake has welcomed over two dozen Ukrainian students like Artem, who are now learning to adjust to life in the US.
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by Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman on (#6KEAM)
Lawmakers in Ghana recently passed a bill that could lead to a severe crackdown on LGBTQ activities that have many people worried. Ghana's president is under pressure domestically to sign the bill into law, but could face economic consequences if he does.
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