South African scientists produce their own COVID vaccine
Scientists in South Africa have figured out a way to make their own version of Moderna’s vaccine against COVID-19. It’s seen as a huge step toward expanded access to lifesaving vaccines across Africa. Also, in Spain’s northeast region of Catalonia, Catalan has been the main language of instruction since 1983. That could all change after Spain’s highest court ruled that at least a quarter of all...
50m Feb 08, 2022
50m
European leaders meet to for Ukraine diplomacy
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are in Washington and Moscow respectively for diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine standoff. And since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014, Ukraine has bolstered its cyberdefense capabilities but has still suffered from severe cyberattacks by the Kremlin. Plus, tributes pour in for singer Lata Mange...
50m Feb 07, 2022
50m
2022 Winter Olympics Games begin in Beijing
On Friday in Beijing, Olympians took part in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics. And the Polish government's current approach to Holocaust history emphasizes "telling all sides" and highlighting the bravery and suffering of non-Jewish Poles. This historical revisionsim has had a chilling effect on Polish Holocaust scholarship. Also, humans used to dine on...
48m Feb 04, 2022
48m
ISIS leader killed in Syria raid
US President Joe Biden has announced today that US commandos have killed ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in a risky pre-dawn attack in Syria. Experts say, however, that his death is not likely to affect the plans of ideologically driven ISIS. And, many Polish historians worry that the current government is trying to cover up the country's role in the Holocaust. New museum exhibit...
47m Feb 03, 2022
47m
Ukraine veterans ready to return to front lines
Since 2014, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have enlisted in the military and have engaged in combat with Russia. Now that the threat level is high with Russia again, many of these veterans are ready to go back to the front lines. And this week, Israel punished three soldiers with dismissals and reprimands over the death of Palestinian American elder Omar Asaad in January. The case caused an up...
49m Feb 02, 2022
49m
One year under military rule in Myanmar
One year since Myanmar’s military took power in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, citizens are fed up with nonviolent resistance. Now, people are taking on the army with whatever they’ve got, from homemade rifles to dynamite. And ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics kicking off this week in Beijing, we hear from athletes as they prepare to travel to China. Also, the pandemic took a heavy toll on couples try...
48m Feb 01, 2022
48m
UN: Taliban killed more than 100 former Afghan govt members
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said his organization has received “credible allegations” that more than 100 former members of the Afghan government and security forces were killed since the Taliban came to power last August. Also, the global COVAX initiative aims to make COVID-19 vaccines equitable to low- and middle-income countries. But one year since delivering its first vaccine shipm...
48m Jan 31, 2022
48m
Truckers protest COVID vaccine mandate in Canada
A huge convoy of trucks is heading to Ottawa for a giant protest on Parliament Hill on Saturday. The so-called Freedom Convoy started as a grassroots movement to protest a new vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canadian border, capturing the attention of far-right groups. Also, much of Europe's energy comes from natural gas piped in from Russia. What is the potential impact of a Russi...
49m Jan 28, 2022
49m
Beijing’s unmet human rights promise
When China won its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing promised to improve China's human rights record. By most accounts, that didn’t happen. As Beijing prepares to host the Olympics again, tough questions about human rights in China remain. Also, Democratic socialist Xiomara Castro became Honduras’ first female president today. She says she’ll work to tackle corruption and bolster alli...
48m Jan 27, 2022
48m
Coronavirus Conversations: What researchers have learned about the omicron variant
Researchers are still studying the omicron variant and its effects. As part of our regular series of conversations about the pandemic, The World’s reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with epidemiologist Bill Hanage of the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> about what researchers have learned so far and how that could in...
42m Jan 27, 2022
42m
Children caught in ISIS fighting in Syria
ISIS fighters have carried out deadly, sophisticated attacks on a prison in northeast Syria since last Thursday. The prison holds hundreds of ISIS members, among them children who were brought to the caliphate by their parents. And, Jan. 26 is officially Australia Day, but to Indigenous communities, it's Invasion Day. In 1972, an Indigenous demonstration in front of the Canberra Parliament buil...
47m Jan 26, 2022
47m
Guatemalan court sides with Indigenous women raped during civil war
Five former members of a civil defense were found guilty Monday of sexual assaults that occurred during Guatemala’s civil war. The men raped dozens of Indigenous women. Also, omicron is hitting Brazil hard, with record-high COVID-19 numbers. Indigenous communities are especially struggling with vaccination rates amid this new wave. Plus, Tennis Australia initially defended its policy against sp...
48m Jan 25, 2022
48m
Biden considers NATO troop reinforcement amid Russia-Ukraine standoff
Amid the standoff between Russia and Ukraine, the US and other Western countries continue to provide Ukraine with military assistance. Now, the Biden administration is weighing sending more troops to countries like Poland and Romania to reinforce NATO allies in Eastern Europe. Also, the rate of global chemical pollution exceeds the planet’s ability to absorb it, threatening the stability of eco...
49m Jan 24, 2022
49m
China continues to take extreme measures to curb COVID 
As COVID-19 cases rise in China, even by small numbers, the government continues to take drastic measures to contain the outbreaks. Measures include a hamster cull in Hong Kong, and thousands stuck in shopping malls for 48-hour quarantines in Shanghai. And US State Department officials traveled to Sudan this week to help mediate the ongoing political crisis in Sudan following the military coup ...
49m Jan 21, 2022
49m
Russia-Ukraine tensions continue
Ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue as Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine. What will Russia's President Vladimir Putin do next? Also, US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy team has brought experience and an emphasis on diplomacy to US engagement abroad. But that hasn’t always been enough to prevent crises from spiraling. Plus, Joy Croo...
49m Jan 20, 2022
49m
Tonga officials worry that with aid comes COVID
International aid is beginning to mobilize for Tonga after an underwater volcano erupted on Saturday. But officials are concerned that admitting aid workers will bring COVID-19 into a country that has remained almost entirely free of the coronavirus. And Cubans who took to the streets to demonstrate against their government last July are paying a heavy price. Dozens have appeared in court in re...
48m Jan 19, 2022
48m
Tonga govt calls volcanic eruption an ‘unprecedented disaster’
The island of Tonga's isolation is impacting efforts to meet humanitarian needs or to even assess conditions days after the volcanic eruption. The Tongan government has called the situation an "unprecedented disaster." And in Mexico on Monday, journalist Margarito Martínez Esquivel was shot dead outside his home in Tijuana. Authorities have launched an investigation, but details remain unclear....
49m Jan 18, 2022
49m
The UAE has the world’s highest COVID-19 vaccination rate
Pandemic trivia: Which country has the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the world? The answer is the United Arab Emirates. The UAE boasts a vaccination rate higher than 90%. We look into what's driven the country’s massive success. Also, in the Arctic, the ground is literally disappearing. Roads, bridges and infrastructure are built on permafrost. But with climate change, that's starting to...
47m Jan 17, 2022
47m
Australia's controversial migrant detention policy in the spotlight
About 30 migrants are currently being detained in the same hotel where tennis star Novak Djokovic stayed, putting the spotlight once again on Australia’s controversial immigration policy. The migrants were transferred from the country’s offshore immigration detention camps to receive medical care, but will not be able to stay in Australia. Also, Japan is pointing fingers at the US military for ...
47m Jan 14, 2022
47m
Former Syrian colonel convicted of crimes against humanity
A German court has convicted former Syrian army colonel Anwar Raslan of crimes against humanity, handing him a life sentence. It’s the world’s first trial related to state-sponsored torture under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. And after a seven-month ban, Nigeria has restored access to Twitter, after the social networking giant agreed to a number of conditions that may permit tighter governm...
47m Jan 13, 2022
47m
Mexico’s president downplays COVID
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday that he had a sore throat after testing positive for COVID-19 for a second time. He then downplayed the illness, saying “it’s like a cold.” And Russia has used an array of tools to destabilize its adversaries, including coercive cyber activity. Yesterday, several US security agencies released an advisory report detailing specific cyber...
47m Jan 12, 2022
47m
US travel advisory list surpasses 80 countries due to COVID
When it comes to global travel, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has four levels of COVID-19 risk advisories for countries, from low to very high. Omicron surges have put many more countries at level four, including Canada. And today marks 20 years since the first detainees filed into the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. US Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden vowed...
47m Jan 11, 2022
47m
Chinese city under strict COVID lockdown ahead of Olympics
Tianjin, a large city near Beijing with 14 million people, reported 41 COVID-19 cases over the weekend. With the Winter Olympics less than a month away, the city is carrying out round-the-clock, mandatory COVID-19 tests. And students and teachers in Uganda reunited today, after nearly two years of COVID-19 shutdowns. We hear why many Ugandan students still won’t be returning to their classrooms...
47m Jan 10, 2022
47m
Turmoil continues in Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, protests, turmoil and violence continue after liquified gas prices recently doubled. The country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said today that he gave orders to security forces to open fire without warning at people he’s calling "terrorists." And airlines are required to fly up to 80% of their schedule to retain their assigned slots, but reduced demand for air travel has led ...
47m Jan 07, 2022
47m
US Capitol insurrection provides extremist propaganda abroad
Imagery from the Jan. 6 insurrection on the US Capitol has made for powerful propaganda in the hands of extremists abroad. We hear from an expert about how US insurrectionists have inspired neo-fascist groups around the world. And with just one month until the Winter Olympics begin in Beijing, China’s zero-COVID-19 policy will impact how the games run. Plus, the King Cake culinary tradition uni...
48m Jan 06, 2022
48m
Canada pledges $31.5 billion over abuse of Indigenous children
Canada's government has pledged to award a $31.5 billion settlement to families in order to begin to repair the damages by a discriminatory system that has removed tens of thousands of children from their parents over the decades. And, scientists in South Africa have made major discoveries about the behavior of the omicron variant, but most of the continent continues to lack vaccine access. We ...
48m Jan 05, 2022
48m
How do new COVID variants get identified?
In recent months, our lives have been dominated by the delta and omicron variants, but now there might be another one lurking — temporarily named IHU.  How do variants get classified as a “variant of concern”? And 24-year-old singer Silvana Estrada is one of Mexico’s most promising young talents. We hear about her upcoming debut album, “Marchita,” and her first headlining US tour. Plus, Canadia...
48m Jan 04, 2022
48m
Sudan’s prime minister resigns amid anti-coup protests
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has stepped down just weeks after he was reinstated by Sudan’s military. The move comes amid street protests responding to the military-led coup in October. And the Daoist goddess Mazu is revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The devout make pilgrimages to Fujian province to pray for the return of Taiwan, which they consider a "renegade province," no...
49m Jan 03, 2022
49m
We ring in the new year with our musical favorites
Happy New Year from The World! For this holiday show, we’ve pulled together a sampling of some of our favorite music features and interviews over the past year. Steeve Valcourt of the band Lakou Mizik talks about how they use music to shine a light on their country's culture and history, while Pakistani composer and musician Arooj Aftab discusses writing songs about transition and loss from her...
50m Dec 31, 2021
50m
Chinese city of Xi'an under lockdown
Earlier this year, the Biden administration discussed offering migrant families that had been separated under the Trump administration $450,000 in compensation per person. But those negotiations ended this week. Families will not be getting anything — at least for now. Plus, the Chinese city of Xi’an remains under COVID-19 lockdown protocols, restricting movement for some 13 million people. And...
49m Dec 30, 2021
49m
Hong Kong shuts down independent media organization
Hong Kong authorities have shut down pro-democracy news organization Stand News on Wednesday in another blow to press freedoms. At least 50 media organizations have ceased operations since the passing of the National Security law. And a decade of war has decimated Syria's health care system. Bombings continue in Idlib province, the last remaining opposition-held area, posing major challenges fo...
49m Dec 29, 2021
49m
Israel explores fourth COVID vaccine dose to mitigate omicron
Israel is administering a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to a test group of health workers in the country’s largest hospital. They say it’s the first major study into whether it will help contend with the fast-spreading omicron variant. And across the globe, extreme poverty rates continue to decline. This phenomenon is powered by continued economic growth in places like India and China, but how s...
49m Dec 28, 2021
49m
Remembering Archbishop Desmond Tutu
We remember Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize-winning Anglican cleric. The longtime activist for racial justice and LGBTQ rights died over the weekend at the age of 90. And omicron seems to be retreating in South Africa. Health care workers stretched thin during the surge are now able to catch a break. Also, 30 years ago, the red Soviet flag came down from atop the Kreml...
48m Dec 27, 2021
48m
Happy Holidays from The World
The pandemic — and social isolation — has been especially hard on people in long-term care. We hear from a toddler and his mom in Canada who wanted to bring a little joy to residents at a retirement home. Also, Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa's first Black free-diving instructor, is trying to change the story of who belongs in the water. Plus, how many times over the past 20 months have you answe...
48m Dec 24, 2021
48m
COVID rapid test shortage in the US
As many Americans travel to see loved ones for the holidays, COVID-19 rapid tests are in short supply and often expensive. We hear from a disease expert about how affordable testing options can result in better community health. And the long-awaited election in Libya was set for Dec. 24, but it has been called off, even though the current government’s term is set to expire. What does this signa...
48m Dec 23, 2021
48m
Countries scramble to contain omicron during the holidays
As millions around the globe prepare to gather for the holiday season, omicron is taking hold in more and more countries. It’s now the dominant COVID-19 strain in the United States, Denmark, Portugal and the United Kingdom.  And as snow falls in Kabul, Afghanistan, humanitarian workers are bracing for a difficult winter. We hear about a domestic abuse shelter for girls and women that is struggl...
49m Dec 22, 2021
49m
The Iranian way to celebrate the winter solstice
Shab-e Yalda is the Iranian celebration of the winter solstice when families gather to eat, dance, sing and recite poetry. It's all about honoring the slow return of daylight as the shortest day of the year comes to an end. Like any good celebration, food plays a vital role. And one of the ways Russia exerts its power across continents is through mercenaries known as the Wagner Group, which has...
49m Dec 21, 2021
49m
A ‘vaccine-plus’ approach to omicron
Omicron is driving the surge in new infections of the coronavirus around the world. Public health colleagues across the globe have been calling for a robust "vaccine-plus" strategy to meet the current moment. And Sudan’s pro-democracy revolution has taken a heavy toll on civil society. Activists say more than 200 people have been killed by security forces in recent years and that this is the re...
49m Dec 20, 2021
49m
‘Patriots only’ to vote in upcoming Hong Kong election
Hong Kong will hold its first election under a new system imposed by Beijing — one in which every candidate must be a so-called “patriot,” meaning they must show pride in mainland China. Hong Kong politicians who question Beijing can’t run, and some have been locked up. And US President Joe Biden recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, hoping to deescalate tensions between the two c...
48m Dec 17, 2021
48m
Missionaries in Haiti freed after 2 months
Haitian police say kidnappers have released all the remaining missionaries they held from an Ohio-based missionary group Christian Aid Ministries. The notorious Haitian gang 400 Mawozo had seized 17 members of the group exactly two months ago. And Amazon has officially launched its smart speaker, Alexa, in Arabic. The service is now available in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But cr...
48m Dec 16, 2021
48m
Coronavirus Conversations: The pandemic, women's health and pregnancy
As part of The World's regular series of conversations about the pandemic, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Ana Langer, Professor of the Practice of Public Health and Director of the Women and Health Initiative at the <a href="http://theforum.sph.harvard.edu/events/" target="_blank">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> about the pandemic-related challenges that are aff...
45m Dec 16, 2021
45m
Police foil murder plot of German politician
Police in Germany foiled an assassination plot against the state of Saxony's political leader. The group behind the plot was reportedly angry about the country's COVID-19 response and vaccine rollout. And in Sudan, anti-military demonstrations continue nationwide after the military coup in October. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was reinstated but now he must create a new government after a wave...
49m Dec 15, 2021
49m
Understanding the new omicron variant
Rates of transmission of omicron continue to rise a day after the United Kingdom announced its first death from this latest variant of COVID-19. We hear from a leading epidemiologist about what we've learned since omicron was first announced. Also, leaders in Iran want people to have more children. To reach this goal, they have passed new legislation that limits access to contraceptives and abo...
48m Dec 14, 2021
48m
First omicron-related death reported in UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK's first reported death from the omicron variant of the coronavirus and said restrictions were in place to help mitigate an upcoming tidal wave of cases. Now, Brits are lining up for booster shots and bracing for new restrictions during the holiday season. Also, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has taken a hard line against his politica...
49m Dec 13, 2021
49m
New Zealand bans smoking for those who are 14 and under
New Zealand's new smoking ban — for those who are 14 and under — is a step toward eventually ending all cigarette sales in the country. It impacts the nation's Maori and Pacific Island communities, in particular. Also, the tragic death of more than 50 migrants in a trailer-truck crash in southern Mexico highlights the dangers faced by migrants globally. And, we remember the Japanese video game ...
48m Dec 10, 2021
48m
Coronavirus Conversations: The omicron variant and holiday travel
To understand the new omicron 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 <a href="http://theforum.sph.harvard.edu/events/" target="_blank">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> — a...
53m Dec 09, 2021
53m
Will Guantanamo ever close?
The Biden administration received bipartisan criticism in the Senate this week over the fate of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The camp has been open for nearly two decades and several US presidents have vowed to close it. But it remains open with some 39 prisoners still behind bars. And a Hong Kong court charged three prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy figures, including media mogul Jimmy...
49m Dec 09, 2021
49m
Brits brace for new omicron-related restrictions
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied that a Christmas party was held at 10 Downing street last December during a pandemic ban on indoor parties, despite new video evidence. It could undercut the impact of an announcement of new omicron-related restrictions in England. And US President Joe Biden is holding a virtual "Summit for Democracy" this week as part of a White House effort to advoc...
49m Dec 08, 2021
49m
Biden and Putin hold high-stakes security meeting
US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Tuesday via video conference. At the top of their agenda: the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In recent months, Russia has been building up its military presence on Ukraine’s border. And on Wednesday, Germany gets a new chancellor and a new coalition government. After 16 years, Angela Merkel will be replaced by Olaf Scholz ...
49m Dec 07, 2021
49m
US imposes diplomatic boycott on Beijing Olympics
The White House has announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, slated to begin on Feb. 4. The decision was due to China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.” Also, the most prominent political leader in Myanmar, 76-year-old Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, was given a four-year prison sentence on Monday. Hours later, the head of the military junta lowere...
49m Dec 06, 2021
49m