The World: Latest Stories

Eleven Americans, who had been stranded in desert camps in northeastern Syria for years, arrived back in the US on Tuesday. The group included a child who is not a US citizen but was repatriated in order to keep the family together. The World's Shirin Jaafari speaks with host Carolyn Beeler about their return.

Whale researchers have turned to computer scientists to analyze the clicks made by sperm whales in the Caribbean. As a result, they believe that sperm whales may have a more sophisticated form of communication than previously understood. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Canadian marine biologist Shane Gero, co-author of a new study on decoding the language of sperm whales.

The Israel Defense Forces carried out air strikes in Rafah last night and now control the main border crossing with Egypt. The military operation commenced as Hamas offered a counterproposal for a ceasefire and a hostage-prisoner exchange. The international community - including the Biden administration - has been warning Israel against attacking Rafah, where 1.4 million people are sheltering. The World's Matthew Bell reports that it's not clear yet if the negotiations aimed at getting a ceasefire in place are dead.

On the eve of the Olympics torch arrival, the city of Marseille is dogged by violence, drug dealing and police brutality. It's not exactly the image France wants to project as host of the 2024 Games. The World's Gerry Hadden looks at problems the government vowed to address ahead of the 2024 summer Olympics.

Two hundred years ago today, Beethoven debuted his "Symphony No. 9" at a theater in Vienna. The composer was nearly deaf, so no one is quite sure of how much of the audience's thunderous ovations following the piece he heard. The piece was viewed as revolutionary in its time and remains much-beloved to this day - across the political spectrum.

Authoritarian leaders in China and Russia are increasingly effective at using propaganda online in surprising ways. And these days, they have new allies in the US. Author and historian Anne Applebaum talks with The World's host Marco Werman about her latest piece in The Atlantic, "The New Propaganda War."

Kalush Orchestra has a unique sound that blends rap with traditional Ukrainian folk music. In 2022, the band representing Ukraine, won Eurovision. The victory was a huge boost for a country at war, and propelled the band to massive success. From Kyiv, The World's Daniel Ofman profiles the group's flute player, who went from being a folk music aficionado to an arena rockstar.

A phenomenon known as the Great Gender Divergence is showing up in multiple research studies. It concludes that men and women born after 1996, the so-called Gen Z, are politically divided along gender lines in ways that previous generations were not. This will be especially important in an election year in big democracies such as Brazil, South Africa, India and the US. Earlier this year, The World's host Marco Werman spoke with social scientist Alice Evans, senior lecturer at King's College London, about how social media may have a role in amplifying this gender divide around the world.

Salil Patel was used to racism in the white, working-class town in England that his family was forced to flee to. This was after Uganda fell under the control of a dictator, and wanted all Indians gone. But after an especially threatening incident, he set his sights on a way out. He shares what he learned on GBH's Stories from the Stage.

It's been raining for more than a week across Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Guaiba River reached a record level of 17.5 feet, washing away roads and bridges. More than 75 people have died, and more than 130,000 have been displaced. Reporter Michael Fox looks at the devastation.

Indian law requires that no voter should travel more than 1.25 miles to be able to cast their vote. Election officials fan across the large and geographically diverse country, setting up booths in some of its most remote corners. They haul their precious cargo - electronic voting machines - on rickey boats and on treks, braving extreme weather and difficult terrain. Sushmita Pathak meets election workers in Darjeeling, India's tea-growing region.

The Queen of Pop gave a free concert this past weekend in Brazil. People packed Copacabana Beach in Rio De Janeiro, and watched from nearby apartments, hotels and boats anchored offshore. It was the biggest concert of Madonna's 40-year career. Rio authorities estimated that the concert would bring in millions for the city and fill nearly every hotel room.

Hamas on Monday says it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The details of the deal aren't clear, but a Hamas spokesman says in addition to a ceasefire, it includes the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced Gaza residents and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli officials say this is not the same proposal for a deal they agreed to with negotiators 10 days ago. Host Marco Werman talks with The World's Matthew Bell on the latest on the ceasefire.

Cleaning up the Seine River so it's safe enough to swim in has been the big question going into the Paris Olympics. The Games are now less than three months away and the water is still dirty by many standards. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on how the Herculean feat is going.

COVID-19 is still with us. Long COVID-19, where people suffer symptoms for months and years after the infection, affects 400 million people across the globe. Host Marco Werman speaks with Dr. Ziyad al-Aly, chief of research and development at the V.A. St. Louis Health Care System, about what patients experience, how patients endure the virus and what treatments are available.

Ties between Beijing and the European bloc have frayed since the pandemic. And now with a war raging on the continent and China's economy slumping, Chinese leader Xi Jinping's push for a positive and pragmatic" policy with Europe has taken on new urgency. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Finbarr Bermingham of the South China Morning Post about Xi's visit to France, Serbia and Hungary.

Each year, thousands of tourists visit the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea. They get a view through a southern lens. Now a North Korean defector is guiding tourists in the DMZ and offering his view of what it is actually like to grow up on the other side. Reporter Jason Stother tagged along with a tour that promises to offer a different perspective of what ordinary life is like in North Korea.

Israel's military says it's approved plans to attack the Gazan city of Rafah, which is home to a million Palestinians sheltering from the fighting. The move comes after Hamas said on Monday that it would accept a ceasefire proposal. Israel says it has begun bombing the city.

The Israeli military has dropped leaflets and sent phone messages to Palestinians in eastern Rafah telling them to relocate. The city in southern Gaza is crowded with more than a million people seeking safety from Israel's military campaign. The call to move could be a sign of an imminent Israeli ground incursion into Rafah, which the Biden administration has cautioned Israel against carrying out. The World's Matthew Bell has the latest.

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that has also been hosting US troops, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel US forces. Daniel Eizenga, a research fellow at the African Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, briefs host Carol Hills about the changing priorities of junta leaders in Niger and in its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, and the changing strategic role of the US in Africa's Sahel region.

According to the latest report by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the United States continues to be the largest aid donor to Afghans. Since the withdrawal of its forces in 2021, the US has spent nearly $18 billion in assistance to Afghanistan and Afghan refugees, according to the report. The World's Shirin Jaafari has more.

For the first time, researchers observed a wild animal treating a wound with a plant known by humans for its medicinal qualities. That's according to a study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports. The World's Carol Hills speaks to one of the authors of the study, Isabelle Laumer, a cognitive biologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, who joined the show from Nuremberg, Germany.

A new Frontline documentary follows investigative journalist Roberto Deniz as he uncovers efforts by affiliates of the Venezuelan government to import fake milk during the country's worst hunger crisis. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Deniz about the relationship between the government and corrupt businessman Alex Saab as well as the difficulties of doing this kind of investigative work inside Venezuela.

Singer and music producer Ghaliaa was born in Syria, and moved to Abu Dhabi as a child. As part of our series "Movement," about music and migration, Meklit Hadero speaks with Ghaliaa about how she gained confidence in her voice, and in herself as a musician.

There are always art exhibits at the Olympic games, but a century ago, people also competed in the arts. For medals. From literature to painting to architecture, artists dreamed of Olympic glory. But the dream was short-lived. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

The Turkish government announced it would suspend trade with Israel, until a permanent ceasefire is achieved and humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza without interruption. Imports and exports between Turkey and Israel totaled $6.8 billion last year. The World's Durrie Bouscaren speaks with host Carol Hills.

UK ministers are considering banning the sale of smartphones to children under the age of 16. And in France, a hard-hitting study says children should not be allowed to use smartphones until they are 13 and they should be banned from accessing conventional social media such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat until they are 18. But The World's Europe correspondent, Orla Barry asks, are these bans effective?

Haiti's newly installed transitional council chose Fritz Belizaire, a little known former sports minister, as the Caribbean country's new prime minister earlier this week. But the selection process sparked backlash, and the council reversed its decision, as the Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles explains to The World's Carolyn Beeler.

Economic challenges are driving crime in Peru. Cases of loan sharking and extortion increased by 370% between 2021 and 2023, according to the Attorney General's Office. The trend is continuing into 2024. The World's Tibisay Zea spoke with some victims of extortion in Peru's capital of Lima.

The assertion that "birds of a feather flock together" may require an update, taking the age of the birds into account. A recent study published in Current Biology found that - in the case of migratory storks - it's mostly the younger birds that stick together for survival. As they age, migrating storks tend to lean into their own knowledge of the route, choosing optimal flying conditions over companionship.

Immigrants in the US face unique obstacles in accessing care for depression and anxiety. Utah is working to provide more mental health care services, especially for its Latino population. They are a group that is among the least likely to see help. From Salt Lake City, KUER's Ciera Hulet reports that Spanish-speaking therapists are key to expanding care.

The Canadian province of British Columbia changed it's drug policy dramatically in 2023 to try and address an opioid crisis. It decriminalized the possession of drugs like fentanyl and heroin, for example. But now after law enforcement and backlash from the public, British Columbia is reversing course, and making public use of drugs illegal again. The World's Marco Werman talks with Mike Hager, a reporter from the Canadian outlet, The Globe and Mail, for the latest details.

Until recently, Myanmar's army was widely seen as undefeatable - too big and brutal to take down. That is changing. An armed uprising started three years ago, after the military seized power from elected officials and tried to rule as a regime. That resistance is now on a roll, capturing vast territory and leaving senior generals "demoralized," according to an army major who defected and spoke to The World's Patrick Winn. In a rare interview, the ex-major says Myanmar's generals feel no remorse for killing civilians and anticipate a coming "fight to the death."

Palaeoartists spent a year working with part of a skull discovered in Iraq to complete a 3D model of what the person's face probably looked like. Based on the model, and some other factors, scientists believe they uncovered a Neanderthal woman. And they think she was well into her mid 40s when she died.

A new telescope has opened in Chile's Atacama desert. At 18,500 feet above sea level, the Tokyo Atacama Observatory is billed as the world's highest astronomical site in the world. The conditions of northern Chile make it the optimal place for telescopes. Marco Werman finds out why from astronomer Luis Chavarria, the European Southern Observatory's representative in Chile.

Georgia's capital city Tbilisi sits at the ancient crossroads of Asia and Europe, of Islam and Christianity, and it is currently the scene of a political confrontation over a Russia-inspired law that critics fear will stifle media freedom. Host Marco Werman speaks with National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek, in Tbilisi, about the city's rich cultural past and its current tensions.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday that an inspection in April showed that hundreds of thousands of bullets, thousands of grenades and 37 anti-tank missiles had been stolen from two different military bases. He said an organized network is behind the theft of weapons and is selling them to militant groups within Colombia and overseas. Host Marco Werman speaks with Colombia-based reporter Manuel Rueda.

May 1, the International Workers Day, marks the contribution of laborers with parades, picnics and speeches in many countries across Europe and in nations influenced by the former Soviet Union: including China, Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, and North Korea. Host Marco Werman looks at today's May Day celebrations in countries around the globe, and tells why the US is not among them.

Engineered stone, or quartz, is the most popular countertop material in the country. But it is causing an epidemic of silicosis, a fatal lung disease among workers who grind and polish the stone. In California, nearly all the victims are Latin American immigrants. KQED's labor reporter Farida Jhabvala Romero says the state has imposed emergency safety measures to protect workers but smaller shops can skirt around them.

This week, the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels near a disputed territory in the South China Sea. The US has a mutual defense pact with The Philippines, so this incident draws the US and China into tension with each other. This incident comes just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in China, meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping. Host Marco Werman interviews the US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns about the tense relationship between the US and China.

Major protests in Tbilisi took place today as local residents criticized a foreign influence bill. The legislation being debated in Georgia's Parliament would require non-governmental organizations and independent media to register as "foreign agents" when more than 20% of their funding comes from outside of Georgia. Host Marco Werman speaks with Ana Jegnaradze, a Georgian reporter, about how the bill is advancing in the country's parliament and the protesters' demands.

For the first time in 421 days, North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures dipped below record-setting levels. That's expected to do little to change the forecast for an extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which starts June 1. Host Marco Werman has an update.

The rallying cry of many pro-Palestinian protestors is divest from Israel." University administrators and donors have so far rebuffed that demand. Many investment analysts argue that it's not feasible for universities to alter their portfolios and sell all assets linked to particular countries. Witold Henisz of the Wharton Business School speaks with host Marco Werman about why divestment isn't as easy as it sounds.

Host Marco Werman reports on the many visitors in Israel, both local and international, to the sites of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, and asks people there why they visit. The answers, it turns out, are complicated.

University of Sydney students set up pro-Palestinian encampments on campus last week, while others in France, Italy and the UK are staging their own forms of protests against Israel's war with Hamas. For now, the demonstrations are small compared to what's happening on US college campuses, but students say their actions are significant and likely to spread. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports from Sydney.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is back in the Middle East. On Monday, he said Israel is offering an "extraordinarily generous" deal and that, "the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and ceasefire is Hamas." But this morning, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said whether there's a ceasefire or not, the Israeli military will launch a ground offensive into Rafah. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

The latest gathering of the world's nations to come up with a treaty to end plastic pollution ended on Tuesday. One area of disagreement was how to address greenhouse gas emissions generated in the manufacture of plastics. Industry groups want the treaty to focus on reuse and recycling. Most other stakeholders want to phase out the use of plastic. Host Marco Werman speaks to Kristian Syberg, a plastics pollution specialist at Roskilde University in Denmark who attended the talks in Ottawa.

Au pairs come to the U-S to live with a family and care for the children. They are paid small stipends and work long days, which opens them to abuse. The State Department is considering revamping the program, which would likely make it unaffordable for parents. WGBH's Hannah Reale in Boston reports some parents fear it will be the end of au pairs.

The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China is now protesting outside of his own lab in Shanghai. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since the virologist published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval. Host Marco Werman has more.

A step forward toward stability today in Haiti as a new prime minister takes over an office that's been effectively vacant for two months. Today, former Sports Minister Fritz Belizaire stepped into the role, as Haitians deal with spiraling violence from gangs that have overtaken most of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Host Marco Werman has more.