The World: Latest Stories

Today, WikiLeaks founder Jullian Assange walked out of a courtroom on the US territory of Saipan a free man, after pleading guilty to a single charge of publishing US military secrets.

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been selected as the next secretary-general of NATO. He will succeed Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, whose tenure lasted ten years, on Oct. 1. Rutte takes over the alliance as the war in Ukraine drags on and European nations mull over their own security. Host Marco Werman speaks with Sean Monaghan, visiting fellow with the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), about what Mark Rutte brings to the job.

An order of Spanish nuns have holed up in their 15th-century convent in a stand-off with the Catholic Church over issues mundane and spiritual. The mundane: The nuns wanted to sell one property to buy an old convent elsewhere but the Vatican blocked the sale. The Spiritual: The nuns have aligned themselves with a far-right priest who adheres to the belief that the current Pope is not legitimate. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

For a week now, thousands of people in Kenya have been taking part in unprecedented demonstrations against a proposed finance bill. Yesterday, Kenya's president accused some demonstrators of treason after they stormed parliament. But today, he changed his tune and conceded to the demands of demonstrators as criticism mounted over the deadly police response. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports from the capital Nairobi.

South Sudan is no stranger to violence since the time of its independence. That violence has caused humans to migrate as they flee war and conflict. At the same time, antelope migration across South Sudan has not only been uninterrupted, the species is actually thriving. Host Marco Werman speaks with Steve Boyes to find out more.

Rapper Ana Tijoux became famous internationally in 2010 with her album 1977. It was named for the year she was born, in France, to Chilean parents in exile during their home country's dictatorship. She was a global hip hop star but it's been 10 years now since she's put out an album. This year, she's released her latest, "Vida." Reporter Gisele Regatao caught up with her recently in New York City.

China's global influence can clearly be seen in its military and economic power. But one of the tightest connections that binds China with every corner of the planet is its relationship with one critical corporation: Apple. Host Marco Werman is joined by veteran journalist Jane Perlez to examine the relationship between a superpower and a super powerful company. It's part of our summer-long series with Perlez's podcast, "Face Off: the U-S versus China."

This month, around 300 families from Panama's Guna tribe, are moving out of a small island off of Panama's Caribbean coast, and settling in a village that the government has built for them on the mainland. They are Panama's first community to relocate due to climate change, though many others could soon follow suit. Manuel Rueda reports from their new village in Panama.

In Kenya today, thousands of people took to the streets to reject a finance bill underway in parliament. The bill proposes new taxes that Kenyans say will hurt them economically. This comes amid rising unemployment and a biting economy. Behind the demonstrations are Gen-Z members who are organizing on social media platforms like TikTok and X. Today, the demonstrations turned deadly as people occupied the parliament building and set it on fire. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports from Nairobi.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has reached a plea deal with the US Department of Justice. He will plead guilty to one felony count in exchange for time served. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports from Sydney that this deal is the culmination of years of lobbying by the Australian government for Assange's release.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russia's former defense minister and its military chief of staff for attacking civilian targets in Ukraine. The warrants for Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov mark the third time the ICC has accused senior Russian leaders of war crimes. American University law professor Rebecca Hamilton speaks with The World's host Carolyn Beeler.

Fans of Afghanistan's cricet team are celebrating today as their team has advanced to the semi-finals of the T20 Cricket World Cup for the first time ever. Some are calling this the biggest day in the history of Afghanistan cricket." The World's hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have the details.

Israel's Supreme Court today ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service. The landmark decision effectively puts an end to a longstanding exemption for the ultra-Orthodox. The arrangement had created a deep chasm among Israeli Jews over who should shoulder the burden of protecting the country. The World's Aaron Schachter has the story.

Run afoul of the European Union's antitrust rules, and you are risking a hefty fine - 10% of your company's global revenue. That's where Microsoft and Apple both find themselves this week, as hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Fifteen years after he died, pop icon Michael Jackson is remembered for the troubling stories that defined his adult life, and also for the staying power of his music. Cameroonian singer and guitarist "Irma" pays homage to the King of Pop.

Efforts to offset some of the effects of climate change get futuristic with "geo-engineering" techniques - trying to actually alter how Earth's systems operate. One of those ideas, marine cloud brightening, is the focus of new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Host Carolyn Beeler talks with one of the co-authors, climate scientist Kate Ricke at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego.

By most counts, Istanbul is home to more than half a million refugees, many of whom are Syrian. In the historic Balat neighborhood, the YOLO Cafe and Art Center offers a performance space for non-Turkish artists, and gathers an audience hungry for live events in Arabic. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports from the city.

Girls are banned from any form of education in Afghanistan. This was imposed by the Taliban, who took control of the country in 2021 after the US withdrew. Many Afghans fled the country shortly after that moment and were able to settle in the US. Zalaikha Wahid was one of them. She had dreamed of being a doctor and was studying medicine at Kabul University before fleeing to the US. Wahid shared her experience with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

In the city of Casablanca, two sisters are shaking up a once male-only domain and playing gnawa concerts to global audiences. Their new album, recorded and produced in Sweden, was released recently, and they'll be touring Europe to promote it this summer. The twist is that it's their father, a respected gnawa master, who encouraged his daughters to learn the intricacies of this trance music and perform it. Alexa Dvorson reports from Casablanca.

More than 1,300 pilgrims perished making the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this month. The majority of those who died were "unauthorized," meaning they lacked the offical "Hajj visa" that the Saudi government requires. The families of many of the deceased say corrupt tour operators preyed on the unauthorized" pilgrims, leaving many unable to protect themselves from the scorching heat, as Faisal Kutty of Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles explains to The World's host Marco Werman.

Only one team has come back from a three-game deficit to win hockey's biggest prize, the Stanley Cup. That was the 1942 Maple Leafs. Now, the Edmonton Oilers are on the cusp of doing the same thing and breaking a 31-year Stanley Cup drought for Canada. Host Carolyn Beeler gets the game preview from Toronto Star sports reporter Kevin McGran.

One the world's most well-known and prestigious makers of sparkling wine - or cava, as it's called in Catalan - is laying off 80% of its workforce. There's plenty of demand for Spanish-German Freixenet's bottled beverage, just not enough water to get the grapes to grow. They have shriveled on the vine, as the lack of rain and restrictions on water use combine. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Sant Sadurni d'Ainoa, Spain.

Sword duels with real blades have been barred for centuries throughout Europe. But, as Leo Hornak reports, every year, across Germany and Austria, hundreds of male university frat house members still undergo a secretive, violent and bloody sword-fighting ritual, using real sharpened blades.

A series of seemingly coordinated attacks on synagogues and Orthodox churches took place in the Russian republic of Dagestan over the weekend. Multiple gunmen opened fire, killing at least 20 people. Dozens more were injured and taken to local hospitals. The World's Daniel Ofman has the latest.

Public toilets: At best, they're functional, at worst, dirty, dark and even unsafe. But in Shibuya, a busy ward in Tokyo, officials want public toilets to inspire wonder. They've recently started a tour of 17 bathroom facilities designed by world-class artists and architects. One is housed inside a glowing cube, another resembles a fairy-like woodland dwelling and, yet another toilet, operated by voice, will clean your backside on command. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

At first glance, the fashion and sport industries may not have a lot in common. But behind each label and couture house are dedicated, skilled professionals - just like on a sports team. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on how the two disciplines will intersect as the fashion capital of the world hosts this summer's Olympics.

Many young Venezuelans who settled in Argentina brought with them a passion for baseball, a sport in which Venezuela is a world powerhouse. The competition isn't quite up to Venezuelan levels, but it's getting there. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Buenos Aires.

Midsummer, or the summer solstice, is a day of great celebration in many countries throughout the globe. For many people in northern Europe - in the Scandinavian countries and the Baltics - midsummer is one of the most beloved holidays. The World's Daniel Ofman reports from Riga, the Latvian capital, about how people there are celebrating the longest day of the year.

New mothers who prepare the traditional foods of their mothers and grandmothers from back in their home countries - like Mexico or Vietnam - often find that eating them can ease the transition to motherhood. If nothing else, carrying on tradition provides grounding and routine. Hannah Yang from Minnesota Public Radio reports.

A Namibian court declared two laws criminalizing same-sex relations unconstitutional, a major win for LGBTQ+ advocates. Host Carol Hills has the details.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra is a collective of nine veteran musicians with a shared love for ska music, jazz and rock. And their action-packed music video has James Bond vibes. Host Carol Hills plays us one of their new tracks, "The Last Ninja."

It's officially summer in the Northern Hemisphere and cutting grass can definitely feel like a chore on a long, hot day. For some lawn owners across North America, rewilding is an environmentally friendly alternative to maintaining a well-manicured lawn. While proponents say natural gardens and lawns increase biodiversity and drought resistance, it's often seen by neighbors as an eyesore, and local regulations forbid it. The World's host Carol Hills speaks to Nina-Marie Lister, who directs the Ecological Design Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University. Lister recalled her own experience running afoul of local bylaws regulating lawn care.

A cargo ship sank in the Red Sea sank on Wednesday, a week after it was attacked by Houthi rebels firing drones from two speedboats. One seaman is believed to have been killed. It's the second ship to be sunk by the Houthis since they began their campaign against commercial vessels to protest Israel's war in Gaza. The World's host Marco Werman speaks with Iona Craig, a reporter who has covered Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula for more than a decade, about the attacks.

Ukraine has been a war zone for more than two years now, and that's affected both humans and animals. This week two beluga whales needed to be evacuated from Kharkiv, Ukraine. Host Marco Werman speaks with Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, about how the evacuation was conducted.

A movie theater in London's West End has cancelled a public premier of the film "The Last Screenwriter," written by "ChatGPT 4.0", because of backlash over a film being written by AI. The director of the film told The Daily Beast that the theater shut down the event after getting 200 complaints. As host Marco Werman tells us, the director says the movie wasn't intended to be controversial - it was intended to be "a contribution to the cause."

In 1971, athletes from Italy, Argentina, Denmark and other countries travelled to Mexico to compete in the Women's World Cup. More than 100,000 fans showed up to games, and by all accounts, the tournament was a success. But that momentum came to a screeching halt the day the tournament ended, and the event was rarely spoken of again. Until now. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on a new documentary called COPA 71.

Farmers in northern Israel say the war has devastated their businesses. Officials in Margaliot, a tiny agricultural settlement bordering southern Lebanon, want the town to sever contact with the Israeli government" following what they see as months of abandonment. Reporter Rebecca Rosman set off for Margaliot but, as she reports, getting there isn't easy.

French President Emmanuel Macron joined several African leaders on Thursday to kick off a planned $1 billion project to accelerate the rollout of vaccines across Africa, after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaping inequalities in access to them. Host Marco Werman speaks with Professor Peter Hotez, co-Director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, about the latest effort to provide vaccine equity for all.

On Friday, Namibia's High Court is expected to issue a judgement on a landmark court case that could impact gay rights across the country. At the center of it are colonial era laws that effectively criminalize same-sex intimate relations, which LGBTQ+ activists say are violating their constitutional rights. The World's Africa Correspondent Halima Gikandi reports.

Geert Wilders, the Dutch far-right leader has spent years spouting anti-Muslim rhetoric. Many of his anti-Islam policies were drafted by Joram van Klaveren, a former Dutch lawmaker. Van Klaveren, who was considered Wilders' right hand man campaigned for the banning of the Quran in the Netherlands and for all mosques to be shut down. Today, van Klaveren dedicates his life to defending Islam. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more from Rotterdam.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this week, he signed onto a new partnership upgrading Moscow's relationship with Pyongyang, and vowing mutual aid if either country is attacked. South Korea blasted the deal today, saying for the first time that it's considering sending weapons to Ukraine. Jenny Town, the director of Stimson's Korea Program and 38 North, talks with The World's host Marco Werman about the implications of the new mutual defense pact.

Slavery wasn't limited to America's South. In the late 1730s, a young boy in Guinea was kidnapped and taken on a slave ship to New England. He grew up as an enslaved person but went on to buy his freedom, and the freedom of his wife and children. Venture Smith would write the first published account of slavery in the America's. Connecticut Public Radio's Diane Orson meets his descendants.

The African National Congress lost its majority grip on power in South Africa's recent national elections. It was a humbling defeat, but on Wednesday, after weeks of political wrangling , the party's leader, Cyril Ramaphosa, was sworn into another term as president. The World's Halima Gikandi reports on how this happened and what this means for South African politics going forward.

China has transformed in the past generation into a much more powerful country, while the US has worked to maintain American influence in the Pacific region. The tensions between the two countries are now at an all-time high over the South China Sea. Host Marco Werman is joined by veteran journalist Jane Perlez to examine how this happened, and what could happen next. It's part of The World's summerlong series, "Face Off: The US versus China."

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon has forced dozens of families to leave their homes near the border. Some are sheltering in an abandoned hotel. The World's Shirin Jaafari visits the hotel and speaks with families who are taking refuge there.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will be coming home from the International Space Station later than expected as officials troubleshoot helium leaks and study why some thrusters failed during the test flight. Host Marco Werman speaks with Jeff Foust, senior writer at SpaceNews, about how NASA works with private companies, and the agency's vision for the United States' future in space.

Immigration has become one of the most-divisive issues this election year. But many economists and business leaders in the US say the country's future economic growth hinges in large part on increased participation in the labor force. In Maine, some sectors have relied heavily on immigrant labor for years, while others are training new arrivals for jobs in emerging industries. Ari Snider of Maine Public reports.

June 19 commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. But the legacy of African enslavement continues to reverberate in much of the world. Howard French, the author of "Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War," speaks with host Marco Werman about the persistent damage in West Africa and beyond.

The British Conservative party, which has ruled the country for 14 years, is facing what some polls say could be a total wipeout in the upcoming elections. It's a far cry from the landslide election won by the Tories under then Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019. The party is now polling so badly that some political observers are wondering if it will even survive in its current form, postelection day. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more.

Al Horford is being celebrated in the Dominican Republic after the Boston Celtics center became the first player from the country to win an NBA title on Monday. Host Marco Werman has reaction.