Japan's Parliament elects new prime minister
Japan's Parliament elected Yoshihide Suga as prime minister Wednesday, replacing long-serving leader Shinzō Abe with his right-hand man. And, 14 people were killed in Colombia last week amid clashes between protesters and the police. The deaths were consistent with a tradition of police abuse in the country. Also, the government of Barbados has announced that it will remove Queen Eliza...
47m Sep 16, 2020
47m
Israel, Bahrain and the UAE signed historic agreement 
Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed a historic agreement to normalize ties on Tuesday, breaking a long-standing regional taboo and indicating a larger realignment of Middle East nations. Also, a new survey shows that America’s reputation has declined further over the past year among many key allies and partners. And, during the pandemic, socializing outside with friends...
47m Sep 15, 2020
47m
Greece struggles to resettle asylum-seekers after blaze
The Greek government is working to resettle thousands of asylum-seekers displaced after a fire destroyed the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos. The fire was allegedly set by camp residents angry at coronavirus quarantine orders. And, China's Belt and Road initiative promises economic development to countries across the globe. But those deals aren't necessarily win-win — as is ...
49m Sep 14, 2020
49m
Marking 19 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks
A whistleblower this week said Department of Homeland Security officials have purposely downplayed certain threats in their briefs to President Donald Trump. Nineteen years ago today, dysfunction at US intelligence agencies stymied efforts to prevent the deadliest attack on American soil in history. Host Marco Werman speaks with a national security expert. And, thousands of migrants on...
47m Sep 11, 2020
47m
Thwaites Glacier is more vulnerable than once thought
The underwater trenches funneling warm water to Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica are deeper than once thought, according to recently published research. And, violent protests have erupted in Colombia after two police officers in Bogotá were recorded brutally assaulting and tasing a man who later died. Also, Confucius Institutes have long been criticized for allowing the Chinese governmen...
48m Sep 10, 2020
48m
Fire destroys Europe's largest refugee camp on Lesbos
An overnight fire has destroyed the largest refugee camp in Greece — and Europe — displacing more than 12,000 people. And, South African track star Caster Semenya has lost her appeal over a 2018 ruling that would require female athletes with high testosterone levels to medically lower them before competing. Also, a study found that a robot capable of holding basic conversations reduced...
48m Sep 09, 2020
48m
Controversial hair advertisement sparks protests in South Africa
A hair advertisement depicting Black women's hair as "dully" and "damaged" has caused an uproar in South Africa. And, a new study finds that people in France who refuse to wear masks are more likely to be older, educated women. Also, summer is almost over, kids are heading back to school, and in Europe, politicians are back at the Brexit negotiating table.
48m Sep 08, 2020
48m
US extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange starts in London
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was back in court in London today as his fight against an extradition request to the US continues. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's pick to lead a Latin American development bank has proven controversial. And Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius has been outspoken against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — while supporti...
48m Sep 07, 2020
48m
How close are we to a vaccine for COVID-19?
How close are we to a vaccine for COVID-19, and what might a vaccine rollout look like in various countries? The task of distributing it to populations around the world could be daunting. Also, in Sofia, Bulgaria demonstrations have been taking place every night for nearly two months now. Protesters want their prime minister and his government to resign. And, it's been a summer of wild...
48m Sep 04, 2020
48m
The effort to ensure global access to a COVID-19 vaccine
Clinical trials in the global sprint to find a coronavirus vaccine have ramped up in the US, the United Kingdom, China, Australia and beyond. But once there is a vaccine, who gets it? That’s a critical question on the world stage amid a pandemic that knows no borders. Also, the US is hitting top officials at the International Criminal Court in the Hague with sanctions, as prosecutors t...
48m Sep 03, 2020
48m
Alexei Navalny poisoned with Soviet-era Novichock, German officials confirm.
The German government says that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by Novichock — a Soviet-era nerve agent. Plus, a textile company in Ghana produces vibrant patterns with pandemic motifs. And, it's the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II today. We hear a story about service dogs who worked with Allied forces during the war.
47m Sep 02, 2020
47m
A global coronavirus check-in, six months into the pandemic
Six months into living through a declared pandemic, where does the world stand? Also, hear from some of The World’s international correspondents about what it’s like to travel abroad during a pandemic. The 2020 census gives Latino communities a pathway to political power. And, a man codes an online bilingual baby name finder.
48m Sep 01, 2020
48m
Historic flight between Israel and the UAE lands in Abu Dhabi
Direct Israel-UAE flight makes historic first. Plus, the US and four English-speaking allies have shared intelligence for decades through an alliance called the "Five Eyes." Now Japan is lobbying to join in. And, a new report from international crime fighters Interpol has found that illegal plastic dumping has sharply increased in the last two years.
49m Aug 31, 2020
49m
How white supremacy impacts US national security
How white supremacy impacts US national security. Plus, Mexico takes an unusual approach to education this fall: school by television. And, a new generation of museum curators have turned into activists.
48m Aug 28, 2020
48m
Arrest made over deaths of protesters in Wisconsin
Authorities have arrested a 17-year-old self-proclaimed militia member and charged him with homicide after two people were killed and another seriously wounded by gunfire amid demonstrations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. And, the typhoon in North Korea, wildfires in the US and once-in-a-generation flooding in China all have a thread: climate change. Al...
49m Aug 27, 2020
49m
Why the traditional Belarusian flag has become a protest symbol
For more than two weeks now, Belarusian citizens have been in the streets calling for President Alexander Lukashenko to step down. Different symbols have popped up as the protests have turned into a movement but the most important symbol has been the traditional red and white Belarusian flag. And, a new paper shows that some 60% of Antarctica's ice shelves are vulnerable to hydrofractu...
48m Aug 26, 2020
48m
Pompeo in Sudan pushes normalizing ties with Israel
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo continued his tour of the Middle East and North Africa, arriving in Sudan on Tuesday to discuss "deepening the Sudan-Israel relationship” and the potential removal of Sudan from the US State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list. And, 20 years ago, the US resettled thousands of the persecuted Somali Bantu minority group. Now, many are being dep...
49m Aug 25, 2020
49m
Experimental plasma therapy approved for the coronavirus
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of blood plasma in treating COVID-19 patients. The plasma therapy joins just a handful of experimental treatments that have gotten such approval. And, Brazil has one of the highest rates of the coronavirus in the world with the Indigenous population hit especially hard. Also, a cat named Mittens has become a celebrity in New Zeal...
48m Aug 24, 2020
48m
Russian opposition leader to be treated in Germany for suspected poisoning
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been in a coma since Thursday, the result of a suspected poisoning. After previously blocking his transfer, Russian doctors are now allowing Navalny to be transported to a medical facility in Germany at the request of his family. And, ever since the controversial election in Belarus which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko claims he won, thousan...
49m Aug 21, 2020
49m
A heavy hand targeting protesters in Belarus
It's been almost two weeks since the controversial presidential election in Belarus that led to the reelection of the incumbent, Alexander Lukashenko. Since then thousands of protesters have come out to the streets and Belarusian authorities have responded with a heavy hand. And, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was hospitalized on Thursday after a suspected p...
49m Aug 20, 2020
49m
S3 Ep7: (Special) The wrong apocalypse — Future wars
Why did the US Navy reinstate celestial navigation as part of its curriculum a few years ago? Well, you can’t hack a sextant. In the seventh episode of the third season of "Things That Go Boom," our partner podcast from PRX, host Laicie Heeley looks at some of the vulnerabilities that come with an overreliance on high-tech defense systems. Guests Peter Singer and August Cole are nation...
28m Aug 20, 2020
28m
Should heat waves have names?
The risks of extreme heat are often overlooked. The newly formed Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance wants to develop a system for naming heat waves, like we name hurricanes, to bring more attention to the "silent killer." And, the US Senate Intelligence Committee’s final report on Russian interference in the 2016 election offers important lessons for what to watch out for in 2020 balloti...
48m Aug 19, 2020
48m
Tribunal announces ruling on Hariri assassination
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon delivered its verdict in the trial over the 2005 bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Also, Germany has been the poster child in Western Europe in terms of how it handled the coronavirus pandemic. Protesters have been taking to the streets in German cities each weekend in opposition to government restrictions to prevent the s...
48m Aug 18, 2020
48m
Number in the News: 20,000 — Have the past few months made you want to scream?
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 20,000. Life under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus can be stressful. The destruction and uncertainty from the pandemic seen across the globe this year has left many people feeling scared and frustrated. Perhaps <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-07-21/need-release-stress-scream-iceland-s-a...
5m Aug 18, 2020
5m
What we know and don't know about coronavirus immunity
Some of the first studies on COVID-19 immunity are coming out. Immunologist Marion Pepper explains what is known about immunity and what scientists still don't understand. And, getting school exam results this year during the coronavirus pandemic was never going to be straightforward. Teenagers in Britain and across Europe are discovering it's complicated, and they're not happy. And, p...
49m Aug 17, 2020
49m
Hope and fear in Belarus following controversial election
This week's federal election in Belarus reinstated the country's incumbent leader Alexander Lukashenko in a landslide, but it's widely believed the election was rigged, and mass protests and violent government crackdowns have followed. And, as many Indian Americans express excitement at the first major party ticket with an Indian background, some are saying Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ...
49m Aug 14, 2020
49m
Coronavirus Conversations: How the coronavirus affects already fragile communities
What impact has the coronavirus pandemic had on places of armed conflict or refugee settlements that are already fragile due to violence and deprivation? As part of our regular series discussing the pandemic and as a special podcast in The World's feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Jocelyn Kelly, director of the program on gender, rights and resilience at the Harva...
34m Aug 14, 2020
34m
Israel and the UAE announce diplomatic deal
Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced Thursday that they will normalize diplomatic ties. Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend its planned annexation of areas of the West Bank. And, as the coronavirus ravages the US, there are very few countries allowing Americans to cross their borders. But if you’re in the military, the US has bases in more than 70 countries — and...
49m Aug 13, 2020
49m
Ongoing protests in Belarus after controversial election
People in the Belarusian capital Minsk and across the country are protesting the election of Alexander Lukashenko. Protesters say the election was rigged and leaders across the EU and the US are raising some of the same concerns. And, Kamala Harris’ father is an immigrant from Jamaica. Jamaicans have been following her career closely and many are now rejoicing her appearance on US pres...
50m Aug 12, 2020
50m
Russia approves coronavirus vaccine before completing testing
Russia has granted regulatory approval to a vaccine for the coronavirus without thoroughly testing it. And, two days after Belarusians went to the polls in a highly contested election, the main opposition candidate was forced to flee to Lithuania and protesters have taken to the streets. Also, an estimated 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in this year's elections. But many m...
50m Aug 11, 2020
50m
Protesters demand change in Lebanon
Thousands of angry protesters have taken to the streets of Beirut demanding the ousting of Lebanon’s political elite, leading to the resignations of several ministers on Monday. And, America’s focus on preparation for future wars comes with a cost and has left the US ill-prepared for the global coronavirus crisis. Also, the pandemic is hitting Brazil's poor and unemployed population pa...
48m Aug 10, 2020
48m
Concerns over food security after Lebanon explosion
Beirut is still coming to terms with the blast that killed scores of people and wiped out Lebanon's main seaport Tuesday. One of the main concerns now is food. And, earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that the world faces a “generational catastrophe” because of school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Also, after a week filled with tragedy, anger and fr...
48m Aug 07, 2020
48m
Lebanese turn to grassroots efforts in blast recovery 
Civilians in Lebanon’s capital have little trust in their government, so they’re launching grassroots efforts to recover after this week’s massive explosion. And, if you're an LGBTQ couple in Western Europe, North America or much of Latin America, you can get married. Not in most of Asia. But Thailand is now preparing to challenge the status quo. Also, the tiny island of Cyprus vetoed ...
49m Aug 06, 2020
49m
Lebanon declares a state of emergency after explosion
After Tuesday’s explosion in Beirut, Lebanon's government has declared a two-week state of emergency. Emergency crews are still on the scene after nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate produced the blast that killed more than 100 people with several thousand more wounded. And, what would President Trump’s foreign policy look like in a second term? Trump’s former National Security Advis...
48m Aug 05, 2020
48m
Explosion rocks Beirut’s port
A massive explosion rocked downtown Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the capital. And UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned Tuesday that school closures as a result of COVID-19 “could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequ...
48m Aug 04, 2020
48m
El Paso's tragic shooting one year on
Monday marks the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, resulting in the deaths of 23 people, with dozens more wounded. The World looks at how the local community is remembering those who died. And, ISIS carried out a brazen attack on a prison in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Sunday night. The attack, which went on for about 20 hours, raises questions a...
49m Aug 03, 2020
49m
Hong Kong delays highly anticipated election
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced Friday that the legislative election planned for early September will be delayed for one year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the opposition isn’t convinced that’s the real reason for the delay. Also, the pandemic has upended long-established strategies for protecting people and property from the dangers of hurricanes, raising widespread c...
49m Jul 31, 2020
49m
Number in The News: 90 — Depression-era recipes go viral for coronavirus-era home cooks
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News (https://www.pri.org/programs/number-news) . Today’s number: 90. Since early 2019, Glen Powell has been sharing recipes from vintage cookbooks, including many from the Depression era, on his YouTube channel, "Glen & Friends Cooking (https://www.youtube.com/user/legourmettv) ." But as the coronavirus crisis has forced home cooks to get crea...
3m Jul 31, 2020
3m
Coronavirus cases in Vietnam sound lockdown alarms
Vietnam has not recorded a single death from the coronavirus thanks to an aggressive lockdown. But, a small spike of infections recently has people there looking at the possibility of more emergency lockdown measures. And, retired US Marine Trevor Reed was convicted on Thursday in a Russian court on charges of endangering police and sentenced to nine years in prison. Plus, a video game...
49m Jul 30, 2020
49m
S3 Ep6: (Special) The wrong apocalypse — inner decay
Disinformation and misinformation have been blurring the line between fantasy and reality since the start of communication itself. But over the last decade, they’ve posed an increasing threat to democracy in the United States, with the 2016 presidential election becoming a major flashpoint in Americans’ understanding of the consequences of fake news. In episode six of the third season ...
29m Jul 30, 2020
29m
The novel coronavirus, bats and other similar viruses
COVID-19 is considered a novel coronavirus because it is a new, undefined coronavirus identified in humans. However, a new study suggests that other similar viruses capable of infecting humans have been circulating in bats for decades. And, only a few years ago, Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to visit Great Britain for a lavish official state visit. Now, UK-British relations are decide...
49m Jul 29, 2020
49m
Cuba’s complicated coronavirus success story
Cuban officials haven’t reported any new COVID-19 deaths for two weeks. At the same time — and not unlike in the US — Cuba is also seeing a grassroots movement to combat police brutality, which is more complicated amid the coronavirus. And, earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said social media companies are immoral and unfit for the Turkish nation. Now, Turkey’s ...
47m Jul 28, 2020
47m
Why coronavirus tests differ around the world
In the US, it's largely been up to individuals to figure out how to get tested for the coronavirus. The situation is very different in other countries. Meanwhile, South Africa had in place some of the world's strictest coronavirus lockdown measures. But now, COVID-19 cases are accelerating, and the country poses a threat to the entire African continent. Also, 30 years ago this week, US...
49m Jul 27, 2020
49m
Coronavirus Conversations: How the coronavirus crisis has exposed entrenched health inequities
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed entrenched health inequities for communities of color in the US and around the globe. As part of our regular series discussing the pandemic and as a special podcast in The World's feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a conversation with Nancy Krieger from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Krieger recently <a href="https://www.hsph.harvar...
32m Jul 27, 2020
32m
More US cities prepare for arrival of federal agents
The Trump administration announced the expansion of a program this week to quell violent crime that involves sending in federal agents to several cities that have seen recent racial justice protests. The World speaks to Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, where some 200 agents were deployed this month. Also, in the latest tit-for-tat between Beijing and Washington, autho...
47m Jul 24, 2020
47m
US-China relations have grown tense with regular clashes over trade, security, human rights and China's Hong Kong policies.
US-China relations have grown tense with regular clashes over trade, security, human rights and China's Hong Kong policies. Now, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is warning of Chinese meddling in Hong Kong's upcoming Legislative Council elections. And, since 2002, a treaty allows Canada to turn back asylum-seekers who come to its border checkpoints and hand them to US officials, where th...
49m Jul 23, 2020
49m
Alarms sounded about foreign interference in 2020 election
US Democratic lawmakers are demanding a prompt FBI briefing on an alleged foreign interference campaign targeting the 2020 election. And, the Trump administration told China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, giving staff there 72-hours notice. Plus, a recent social media campaign launched by the Yorkshire Museum in England, called #BestMuseumBum, went viral and museum curators ...
48m Jul 22, 2020
48m
Britain ‘actively avoided’ investigation into Russia election meddling
Britain's government failed to determine and "actively avoided" looking into whether Russia meddled in the country’s recent elections, according to a much-anticipated intelligence report. And, after a long legal battle, the Thai Supreme Court has acquitted British human rights activist Andy Hall of defamation charges. And life under lockdown is stressful — perhaps a good, long scream w...
48m Jul 21, 2020
48m
Number in The News: 2 — Australia and New Zealand to co-host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 2. The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup has big shoes to fill. The 2019 competition drew a record-setting 1.1 billion viewers around the world, and the players made major waves calling for pay equity in the sport. With the recent announcement that two countries — Australia and New Zealand — will co-host the 2023 tourna...
3m Jul 21, 2020
3m
Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine study shows glimmer of hope
Scientists at Oxford University published the results Monday of an early-phase coronavirus vaccine experiment showing strong immune response and no early safety concerns. And, for four days now, leaders from the European Union's 27 member states have been locking horns over the EU’s coronavirus recovery package. Plus Italian police found cocaine inside hollowed-out coffee beans. Invest...
47m Jul 20, 2020
47m