The World: Latest Stories

To understand the new variant, travel restrictions and how people can better prepare for the upcoming festive season, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Stephen Kissler — who is a research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — as part of The World's regular series of conversations about the pandemic.

Food prices have skyrocketed in Lebanon, and the World Food Program says an unprecedented number of people rely on humanitarian assistance to get by. Private charity groups say they are doing all they can but that it’s not enough to meet the demands.

Attorney and pastor André Mendonça’s spot on the Supreme Court holds profound significance for evangelicals in Brazil — and the Bolsonaros.

Millions of people in Turkey are turning to risky cryptocurrency investments in the hopes of protecting their savings or bringing in a side income. But economist Steve Hanke calls it a "casino operation." "They’re not really investments," he said.

Iraqi Kurds fleeing the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq have made harrowing journeys to Western Europe. Now, many are being flown back to northern Iraq, often with little to restart their lives.

Over 1.6 million tickets were sold during its first week in Colombian movie theaters — a record for animated films in the country. The government plans to use the film to change the narrative about Colombia abroad.

As part of The World's regular series of conversations about the pandemic, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Karestan Koenen, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to discuss the challenges surrounding the mental health impacts of the pandemic on children.

The Snow Leopard Trust works to protect vulnerable snow leopards that face wide-ranging threats primarily due to climate change.

Subsidies that make coal, oil and gas cheaper are widely recognized as a roadblock to a transition toward cleaner energy. But they’ve proven hard to get rid of.

The Living Lab is home to 40 resident students and researchers who showcase the most advanced innovations in energy-conservation technologies.

How far will the US go in making a darling of Vietnam’s military? The World's Southeast Asia correspondent Patrick Winn asked former Ambassador Ted Osius, who served in Hanoi from 2014 to 2017.

Lebanon has 18 recognized religious sects, and sectarianism is built into the country’s political system. But in the wake of the October 2019 protest movement, some are advocating for a different path.

If the proposal passes, non-US citizens living in New York City who have a green card or work permit would be able to vote in local elections.

At the climate talks in Glasgow last month, more than 130 countries representing 90% of the world’s forest cover pledged to end net-forest loss by 2030. Is this really achievable?

Five years after a peace accord was signed between Colombia’s largest guerrilla group and the country’s government, a small group of women have found a path forward in Popayán, Colombia.

Esther Phillips, Barbados' poet laureate, talked with The World's host Marco Werman about the island nation's efforts to grapple with its brutal colonial past.

Esther Phillips, Barbados' poet laureate, talked with The World's host Marco Werman about the island nation's efforts to grapple with its brutal colonial past.

For more than a month now, Sudanese young and old have been defying the military through popular protests — undeterred by an aggressive security response that has left more than 40 people dead.

“As omicron makes its way around the world, we have to see borders not as a stop point, but more as a surveillance point,” said Kelley Lee, a researcher of cross-border measures at Simon Fraser University in Canada.

At the recent COP26 climate talks in Scotland, the US and European nations agreed to provide $8.5 billion in financing to help South Africa phase out its use of coal power.

An economy in freefall and political tensions with an important importer of Lebanese goods have workers and managers at a paper factory on the outskirts of Beirut worried about the future.

"Thank you" can be perceived as an expression of gratitude, or as transactional or even as distancing, depending on where you are in the world. Elaine Hsieh — a professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she studies language and culture — explained the various nuances to The World's host Marco Werman.

"Thank you" can be perceived as an expression of gratitude, or as transactional or even as distancing, depending on where you are in the world. Elaine Hsieh — a professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she studies language and culture — explained the various nuances to The World's host Marco Werman.

Aleya Kassam, one of the founders of Wau Eats in Nairobi, said her family has enjoyed making samosas for generations. As they experiment with different fillings, Americans living in Kenya are even ordering apple pie samosas for Thanksgiving.

Humanitarian groups and media have been banned from entering the area near the border with Belarus.

The World’s Southeast Asia correspondent Patrick Winn spoke with marine bioloigst Dr. Daniel Pauly, asking him what can be done to reverse the crisis around overfishing and creating "dead zones" in the oceans.

The birth of Argentine rock coincided with a turbulent time in Latin American history when many countries fell under military dictatorships.

After signing a 14-point deal with the country's military chief, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok returned to office, promising to adopt a 2019 constitutional agreement.

Monique Clesca works with the Commission for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis. As Haiti tries to rebuild from successive catastrophes, Clesca talks with The World's host Marco Werman about what Haitians need to rebuild.

Lebanon is facing a critical electricity shortage. The state’s electric company is only able to provide power to residents for a few hours a day. For the rest, people have no choice but to rely on private generator businesses, which in turn, has created its own set of problems.

North Atlantic right whales face a number of threats from climate change, vessel strikes, and entanglements in fishing gear, and scientists estimate that fewer than 400 remain. Now researchers have discovered that because of these stresses, the whales are smaller than they should be, which could be leading to fewer successful births.

This week, Irishman Seán Binder and 23 other aid workers stood trial in Greece, accused of espionage, forgery and supporting a criminal organization. The judge ultimately ruled to refer the case to a higher court.

Migrant support organizations have been accusing the Greek government of intercepting migrants arriving on islands by boat and sending them back to the sea.

As tensions flare up again between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thomas de Wall, a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe with a specialty in Eastern Europe, speaks to The World's host Marco Werman about the regional players invested in the fight and how their interests are influencing the conflict.

This past week, UK environmental activist Ella Daish traveled to Switzerland and marched a giant tampon — which is a striped, blue and green tampon sculpture that stands more than 6 feet tall — to Procter & Gamble’s European headquarters in Geneva. She said she wanted to “return” the plastic applicators to the company.

As Americans make plans for upcoming holiday gatherings, many are conflicted about getting a booster shot while others around the world haven't had a chance to get their first jab. Professor and health technologies advocate Nicole Hassoun discusses the dilemma with The World's host Marco Werman.

Thousands of Ghanaians resort to open defecation due to a lack of access to clean toilets. Some young people in Ghana are leading the movement to change the narrative around this dangerous practice.

After a slow start, more than 73% of Brazilians have gotten the jab. Many Brazilians credit the unexpectedly successful campaign in part, to Zé Gotinha, a beloved cartoon character.

Raphael has dedicated his free time to fishing waste out of the Seine in Paris using a magnetic rod. He's already managed to pull out 7 tons of waste including electric bikes, scooters, scrap metal and cellphones.

The US has reopened its land borders to vaccinated travelers, but not to many asylum-seekers, even if they are vaccinated. This reality is leaving migrants in Tijuana, Mexico, increasingly desperate for their chance to seek asylum in the US.

The suicide bombings are the latest in a string of explosions that have plagued Uganda in recent weeks.

Lillian Guerra, a professor of Cuban history and the director of the Cuba Program at the University of Florida, described the culture of repudiation in the country to The World's host Marco Werman.

Race car driver and instructor Bob Bondurant died at the age of 88 on Sunday. In addition to teaching Hollywood celebrities, he also taught tactical driving to security teams. Anthony Ricci, who runs Advanced Driving and Security, Inc., took The World's host Marco Werman into the world of tactical driving and how it's used to protect important people.

Nearly every climate envoy or minister at the meeting left Glasgow saying more still needs to be done, and fast.

In “The Hands of Time,” Weedie Braimah and his band fuse hip-hop, folkloric music and jazz. The new album tells two stories: that of the djembe and Braimah’s journey to it.

In “The Hands of Time,” Weedie Braimah and his band fuse hip-hop, folkloric music and jazz. The new album tells two stories: that of the djembe and Braimah’s journey to it.

The US House Oversight and Reform Committee is investigating the role of industry in the spread of disinformation about fossil fuel and its role in the climate crisis.

Attempts to mediate between the military and civilian leaders have been unsuccessful so far.

A summit in Paris on Libya's future is focused on ensuring that the country stays on track for planned elections in December. Emadeddin Badi, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, tells The World's host Marco Werman that pushing for these elections at any cost is problematic.

Major aspects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade from an African perspective have gotten erased throughout time. Howard French set out to illuminate a more expansive understanding in a new book called, "Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War."