The World: Latest Stories

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.

The historic prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries remains big news inside Russia. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Alina Polyakova, president of the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, about President Vladimir Putin's "red carpet" welcome to returning Russian prisoners on Thursday, the response among members of the Russian opposition to the release by Moscow of so-called "dissidents," and the ways this story is being covered by Russian state media.

Swimming is set to wrap up this weekend in Paris, and Amandine Aftalion, author of "Be a Champion: 40 Facts You Didn't Know About Sports and Science," shares one reason why there have been fewer world records than in Olympics past. Plus, the track-and-field events are just getting started. The World's Bianca Hillier speaks with host Carolyn Beeler.

As the war in the region continues to escalate far beyond Gaza, the humanitarian situation for civilians there only gets worse by the day. Water, food and aid are hard to come by. And the threat of diseases like polio are getting much more serious. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with UNICEF spokesperson, Salim Oweis, about how children are handling the horror of the war.

Our reporters serve up samples of the food and drink people enjoy across the globe, when weather heats up. Reporter Sushmita Pathak shares a dish known as curd rice.

Thailand's wildlife is fantastically diverse. Its elephants, primates and wild tigers are a source of national pride. But one native species is not loved. The water monitor, a dog-sized creature with snakelike fangs, is widely despised. A group of young Thais wants to convince society to start loving this four-legged creature. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

Our reporters serve up samples of the food and drink people enjoy across the globe, when weather heats up. The World's Tibisay Zea shares a refreshing beverage from a street vendor in Caracas.

Our reporters serve up samples of the food and drink people enjoy across the globe, when weather heats up. The World's Shirin Jaafari makes a refreshing dip from Iran.

Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler bring you some updates on some stories that we have reported on including the funeral of the assassinated Hamas leader Haniyeh, rampaging wolves in the Netherlands and why you won't be able to order noodles anymore on Korean Airlines.

This week, South Sudan's national men's basketball team made their Olympic debut. Despite having zero indoor courts, the team managed to qualify for the Olympics after forming only a few years ago. Amid years of ethnic strife and civil war, basketball is proving to be a unifying force for all South Sudanese. The World's Africa correspondent Halima Gikandi reports from a watch party in Nairobi, Kenya.

The former president of Guinea, Mohamad Dadis Camara, was found guilty on Wednesday for his invovlement in a 2009 massacre committed by his forces. Camara was being tried in a Guinean court case along with other defendents for the past two years. Host Marco Werman speak with Daniel Eizenga, a research fellow at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, about the trial and what this conviction means for Guinea now.

In the predawn hours on Tuesday, landslides struck the southern Indian state of Kerala. Landslides are common in this hilly region known for tea cultivation, but even so, the destruction this week has been extreme. More than 200 people have been confirmed dead, and although the search for missing people continues, hope of finding survivors is running low. Reporter Sushmita Pathak, in Delhi, offers insight into the region, the high death toll, and how climate change may contribute to what's happening.

Devastating floods in North Korea has submerged thousands of homes and large areas of farmland. Leader Kim Jong-un has called for strict punishment of officials for not preventing the floods.

Australia, where 1 in 10 babies are affected by peanut allergies, is rolling out a free treatment program. This world's first nationwide effort to treat infants with peanut allergies, by giving them a daily dose of peanut powder, is providing families with hope of overcoming the potentially life-threatening condition. Host Marco Werman tells the story.

When the Dyke family moved from Jamaica to northern Vermont, they were worried about the cold. But they found the Green Mountains to be very familiar seeming.

After the horrors of Oct. 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, it's become almost dangerous for Palestinians and Israelis to publicly express empathy and understanding for each other. Reporter Rebecca Rosman met with two men - one Palestinian, one Israeli - who are trying hard to maintain their own empathy for the pain the other side is experiencing. Both have been called a traitor.