ICJ orders Israel to halt Rafah military offensive
The UN's International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to stop its military offensive in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. It comes as Israel also said it has recovered the bodies of three Israeli hostages from Gaza. Also, a look at the UAE’s support of the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces as the war between the RSF and the Sudanese national army reaches a new critical juncture....
49m May 24, 2024
49m
Death of Iran's president raises questions about a different succession for the country
The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has raised the question of another succession — that of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi was seen as a strong candidate before his death. Also, Kenya’s president is in the US for a historic state dinner celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations with the United States. It comes as Kenyan police prepare to arrive in Haiti to lead a contr...
50m May 23, 2024
50m
Three European nations recognize a Palestinian state
Spain, Ireland and Norway say they will recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. They will join 139 countries who have already taken the step. Also, a court has ruled that greenhouse gasses are a form of marine pollution, laying out legal obligations for governments. And, the Aral Sea, which spans the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, used to be the fourth largest lake on the planet but cha...
50m May 22, 2024
50m
NHS blood scandal in the UK
Investigators in Britain have recently released an explosive report detailing how more than 30,000 UK residents contracted HIV or hepatitis from tainted blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Survivors of the contamination and their families have welcomed new pledges of compensation. And, security forces rescued 350 hostages from Boko Haram captivity in Nigeria on Monday. The hostages had been ...
50m May 21, 2024
50m
Iran: A day after death of its president and foreign minister
Iranians woke up on Monday to the news of the death of President Ibraheem Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The officials were traveling in a helicopter when it crashed in a mountainous area in the northwest of the country. And naturalists have discovered that there are many species that are now hard to find in the United States, but healthy populations can be found across th...
49m May 20, 2024
49m
Upheaval in New Caledonia
France declared a state of emergency in its Pacific Islands territory of New Caledonia. At least three Indigenous Kanak people and two police officers have been killed in violence that began Monday night over a proposed amendment to the French constitution that expands French citizens’ eligibility to vote in the archipelago's local elections. And, the US military says the first aid shipment has...
51m May 17, 2024
51m
In China visit, Putin pushes for closer trade and energy ties
Migrants heading from South America to the United States must cross a treacherous jungle known as the Darien Gap. To prepare for the perils ahead, people embarking on that journey now turn to their phones for crucial information. Enter a new social media influencer: documenting the route, and offering survival do's and don'ts for those who come. Plus, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian Pr...
50m May 16, 2024
50m
Georgia passes 'foreign agents' bill
Georgia’s parliament has passed a “foreign agents” bill. Tens of thousands of people have gone out to the streets to protest in the capital city of Tblisi. The bill is modeled after a similar law in Russia. Plus, the Israel-Egypt peace treaty has been a linchpin of stability in the Middle East for the last 45 years. The war in Gaza may be putting that agreement at risk. And, three women from Sa...
50m May 15, 2024
50m
Leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan conduct peace talks amid mass protests in Yerevan
In Canada, the embers from last year's record-setting fires smoldered under the ground's surface through the cold winter months, never quite going out completely. The fires, known as zombie fires or overwintering fires, have returned. Also,  Azerbaijan and Armenia are engaged in peace talks after Azerbaijan’s military seized Nagorno-Karabakh in September, displacing tens of thousands of Armenia...
50m May 14, 2024
50m
In Mexico, bodies of 3 missing foreigners discovered in less than a week
In Mexico, Mother's Day was a sad reminder for the mothers of more 116,000 people reported missing there. But, in a rare exception, officials managed to find the bodies of three missing foreigners from Australia and the US in less than a week. Plus, athletes have been announced for the refugee team slated to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. And you probably saw pictures of the Northern ...
49m May 13, 2024
49m
Catholic Church prepares for its 2025 Jubilee
Pope Francis delivers the official declaration for the Catholic Church's upcoming 2025 Jubilee, a once-in-25-year event for Catholics that goes back to the 14th century. Also, as part of reestablishing ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia wants the US to help it build a civilian nuclear program. And, a look at the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza as Israeli troops position themselves to enter Rafa...
50m May 10, 2024
50m
Russia marks Victory Day with pomp and circumstance
Russia marks Victory Day with pomp and circumstance and a chance to show off its power and strength. Also, many Nigerians are calling on the government to bring back fuel subsidies as oil prices rise. And, a discussion about the value of written language after a teacher in the UK finds a stone inscribed with ancient Ogham writing from Ireland. Plus, a new gallery in New York City is holding one...
51m May 09, 2024
51m
Olympic torch arrives in Marseille
The long-awaited torch of the Olympic Games arrives by ship in the southern French port city of Marseille. Also, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca says its ceasing sales of its COVID-19 vaccines. The company says its vaccine saved millions of lives globally but demand is now low. And, a look at what a pause in shipment of weapons destined from the US to Israel means. Plus, the Luminous Stars cen...
50m May 08, 2024
50m
American women and children in Syrian detention camps return to the US
A group of Americans who had been stranded in desert camps in northeastern Syria for years arrived back in the US on Tuesday. Also, water supplies in Mexico’s capital are at a historic low because of a combination of low rainfall, rising temperatures and outdated infrastructure. And, the IDF conducted air strikes in Rafah, where 1.4 million people are sheltering, and now controls the main borde...
50m May 07, 2024
50m
Hamas says it'll approve the Qatari-Egyptian ceasefire proposal
In a statement, Hamas said it would approve the Qatari-Egyptian ceasefire proposal. Israel and the US say they are reviewing the deal. It's not the same one that was under consideration 10 days ago. For the people sheltering in Gaza, in the city of Rafah, we'll bring a ground-level perspective on the fast-changing situation, as well as a window into how civilians are navigating the uncertainty....
51m May 06, 2024
51m
Turkey cuts trade with Israel
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. And, for the first time, researchers observed a wild animal treating a wound with a plant known by humans for its medicinal qualities, according t...
50m May 03, 2024
50m
Inside Myanmars 'demoralized' army
Until recently, Myanmar’s army was widely seen as undefeatable — too big and brutal to take down. An armed uprising started three years ago is now on a roll, capturing vast territory and leaving senior generals "demoralized," according to an army major who defected. And, Georgia’s capital city Tbilisi sits at the ancient crossroads of Asia and Europe, of Islam and Christianity, and it is curren...
49m May 02, 2024
49m
Calls for divestment from Israel face resistance
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. And, this week, the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels near a ...
50m May 01, 2024
50m
Netanyahu says stopping war in Gaza now is 'not an option'
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel is offering an "extraordinarily generous" deal and that, "the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and cease-fire is Hamas." But on Tuesday, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said whether there's a ceasefire or not, the Israeli military will launch a ground offensive into Rafah. And, au pairs come to the US to live with a fam...
47m Apr 30, 2024
47m
Aid trickles in to Gaza
More trucks carrying aid are crossing the border into Gaza, and the relief group World Central Kitchen is resuming operations there, four weeks after Israeli soldiers killed seven of the group’s aid workers. Still, the situation in Gaza remains dire. And, Maori poet Tayi Tibble released a new collection of poems, "Rangikura" earlier this month to critical acclaim. Tibble talks with us about her...
48m Apr 29, 2024
48m
In Barbados, public outcry over a potential land deal
In the third and final part of our reporting series from Syria, we have the story of a woman who married an American member of ISIS. She shares the story of her life under the brutal extremist group and the challenges she faces now. Also, in Barbados, there's a public outcry over a potential land deal that involves property owned by a member of the British parliament whose family got rich from ...
48m Apr 26, 2024
48m
The children of ISIS who remain in Syria
At its height, ISIS recruited and trained children to fight for its cause. Some participated in atrocities and appeared in propaganda videos. Others were brought to the so-called caliphate by their parents or they were born there. We hear about one young man from Trinidad who has been stuck there for 5 1/2 years. And, European police have busted a criminal ring that over a period of two years s...
49m Apr 25, 2024
49m
Kenyan workers strike over insufficient pay
Thousands of people with perceived connections to ISIS remain locked away in detention camps across northeastern Syria. Some of the prisoners are children. We visited several sites in what's been called "Guantanamo on an epic scale." Plus, in Kenya, health care workers at public hospitals are on strike over insufficient pay. The strike has already had an impact, with some public hospitals no lo...
49m Apr 24, 2024
49m
UK passes legislation aimed at deterring asylum-seekers
Britain’s Parliament has passed contentious legislation aimed at deterring asylum-seekers from heading to the UK. People arriving via small boats or any other “irregular means” will be deported to Rwanda where their asylum cases will be heard. Also, a new report by the Swiss investigative organization Public Eye says that several popular Nestle products sold in lower-income countries contain ad...
47m Apr 23, 2024
47m
Israel’s military intelligence chief Aharon Haliva resigns
The head of military intelligence for Israel, Aharon Haliva, has resigned, saying his directorate failed to alert the military and nation in time to prevent Hamas's Oct. 7 attack. Also, the US House of Representatives passes another spending package worth $61 billion for Ukraine. And, a German bank has frozen the account of Judische Stimme (Jewish Voice). It comes amid a string of confrontation...
48m Apr 22, 2024
48m
Voting begins in India in world's largest election
Voting has begun in India in what's being called the largest election in recorded history. Nearly 1 billion people are eligible to vote in the election, which will happen over the next six weeks. Also, US and Iranian officials confirm an Israeli attack on the Iranian city of Isfahan, which is home to several key military sites. And, there’s a growing social media campaign to boycott Canada's bi...
49m Apr 19, 2024
49m
Qatar reevaluates role as Gaza war mediator
Qatar has been holding negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at securing the release of Israeli hostages and bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza. But those efforts have so far failed and Qatar is taking heat for its role from politicians in Washington. And, British surgeon Dr. Khaled Dawas completed his second trip to Gaza last week. He tells us about deteriorating health care conditions i...
49m Apr 18, 2024
49m
Global weather woes as 'rain bomb' strikes Dubai
Heavy rains have dumped more than two years worth of precipitation on Dubai and surrounding nations. It’s in an extreme weather event analysts are linking to climate change. More than five inches of rain fell in 24 hours. And a controversial bishop in Australia is the latest victim of a knife attack. It’s the second-highest profile knifing in three days. Also, a new landmark agreement between t...
47m Apr 17, 2024
47m
What is the US' role at this moment in the Middle East?
What is the US' role at this moment in the Middle East, and does the Biden administration hold sway over what comes next? We speak with Retired Admiral John Kirby, who is the spokesman for the National Security Council. Also, Ukraine's leadership has been calling on the US and other partners to replenish its air defense and artillery stocks. Right now, Ukraine is rationing artillery on the fron...
48m Apr 16, 2024
48m
Iran attack on Israel over the weekend
Iran used hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend. It's a turning point in the hostility between the two countries, and in the regional conflict in the Middle East. We have the latest on Israel, Iran and the US role in a deepening crisis as well as reaction inside Iran to weekend attacks on Israel. Plus, a kora player from...
48m Apr 15, 2024
48m
Ongoing efforts to bring home hostages captured by Hamas
Ten years ago on Friday, the militant group Boko Haram kidnapped over 200 young women from a secondary school in Nigeria. A decade later, we hear how things have turned out for those women and their families. Also, The World's team in Israel has spoken with the parents of an American-Israeli hostage about efforts to keep pressure on their government — and international community — to bring thei...
49m Apr 12, 2024
49m
More than 70% of Israelis think Netanyahu should resign
The World continues its weeklong series from Israel. According to a new survey, more than 70% of Israelis think Netanyahu should resign now, or as soon as the war in Gaza comes to an end. But there are stark divisions over what should happen next. Also, this year, the US will accept 125,000 refugees, the highest number in decades. That means local aid groups in American cities will be mobilizin...
49m Apr 11, 2024
49m
Protesting farmers pose challenges to Modi's leadership
With polls opening this month in India, farmers are angry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2021, Modi made a rare concession by repealing farm laws after they were met with massive monthslong protests in Delhi. Now, farmers are returning  to the streets. Also, the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza is also being felt by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories. One area the impact i...
49m Apr 10, 2024
49m
After war in Israel ends, Biden looking for 'revitalized' Palestinian Authority leadership
We continue our focus on Israel and the Palestinian territories, with a trip to the West Bank. When the war in Gaza finally ends, the Biden White House is looking for “revitalized” leadership from the Palestinian Authority, which has sworn in a new technocratic government. But it’s not generating a lot of excitement from Palestinians, who are feeling deeply pessimistic about what’s happening in...
48m Apr 09, 2024
48m
Israelis mark 6 months since Hamas attacks in southern Israel
 Hamas' deadly attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7 left an estimated 1,200 people dead and 250 taken as hostages. Most of the world first saw the terrifying videos and images from the Nova music festival. We hear from witnesses who bore the brunt of these attacks and how they feel today. And, Israel is still planning to attack the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which borders Egypt. Nearly half o...
49m Apr 08, 2024
49m
Israel faces international pressure following killing of aid workers
The killing of seven international World Central Kitchen staff members in an Israeli strike has brought a firestorm of criticism upon Israel. US President Joe Biden called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel responded by opening up a border crossing with the Gaza Strip. And, engineered quartz is the most popular choice for kitchen counters i...
49m Apr 05, 2024
49m
'Sharing the burden' of military service in Israel
In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox community has been exempt from military service. But Israel's Supreme Court just ruled that yeshivas — Jewish religious seminaries — are being cut off from government funding because they don't send students into the military. And, National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek talks about his time in Cyprus, where he found the vestigial border line that divides the isl...
50m Apr 04, 2024
50m
The dangers of quartz mining
Quartz is popular because it looks like marble but is cheaper and needs no maintenance. But the silica dust produced during mining and manufacturing can make it deadly. We hear from Turkish miners about their experiences. And, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan Wednesday morning, with the worst damage located in the east coast city of Hualien. Early reports say that nine people have died,...
49m Apr 03, 2024
49m
Charities halt Gaza food deliveries after 7 aid workers killed
World Central Kitchen (WCK), one of the few aid groups distributing food in Gaza, has suspended its work there, along with others. The move comes on the heels of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike that killed seven WCK workers after they left a warehouse in two armored cars. And, Israel's airstrikes on WCK workers and the Iranian Embassy annex in Syria are drawing criticism from the internat...
50m Apr 02, 2024
50m
Israeli protesters united against Netanyahu government
Israeli protesters from various groups have come together to demand elections and the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. To put pressure on the government, they've set up a tent city in front of the Knesset — Israel's parliament — in Jerusalem. And, Turkey's main opposition party, the CHP, won municipal elections in 35 of the country's 81 provinces Sunday, which included Turkey's lar...
49m Apr 01, 2024
49m
Education special: The price of higher ed
The World looks at the price of higher education for international students in the United States in this special podcast. American universities make the US the No. 1 choice among students from abroad. But nowhere else is tuition as expensive, leaving many people in debt. Universities depend upon international students’ high tuition fees to balance their books since foreign students can't rely o...
49m Mar 29, 2024
49m
One long year imprisoned in Russia
It’s been one year since Russian authorities detained Evan Gershkovich, a 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter. This week, a closed-door court in Moscow extended his detention by three months. He’s the first US journalist to be apprehended under suspicion of espionage in Russia since the Cold War ended. Also, in Turkey, Ramadan is a chance to enjoy evening concerts, and traditional musician...
49m Mar 28, 2024
49m
Ukrainians return to battlefield after injury
Andrii Shadrin is a 28-year-old Ukrainian corporal who serves in a military unit that repairs and replaces equipment damaged in frontline fighting. Shadrin describes what it’s like to return to the battlefield after an injury, when military equipment and ammunition are in short supply. And, Nuha al-Junaid, a Yemeni woman in exile, has been speaking with people across war-torn Yemen and in the d...
49m Mar 27, 2024
49m
The challenges of navigating a large ship
The container ship The Dali that crashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore had two local pilots navigating the large cargo carrier along the Patapsco River. We hear from a ship captain about the challenges of safely guiding a large container ship. And, the demand for language courses on US college campuses typically has reflected global shifts. But today, students are taking Korean...
49m Mar 26, 2024
49m
US abstains as UN Security Council demands Gaza ceasefire
After tense negotiations and four previous failures, the UN Security Council passed a resolution this morning calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. For the first time, the US abstained on a Gaza ceasefire vote, rather than using its veto. And, according to Russian officials, the death toll from the Crocus City Hall shooting in Moscow currently stands at 137, with another 180 people injure...
48m Mar 25, 2024
48m
Gunmen open fire at Moscow concert hall, killing dozens
The Kremlin says that more than 40 people have died and more than 100 were wounded in a Friday night attack. The motive for the shootings or who may be responsible is not known. And, for more than a decade, Hosam Bahgat has been under criminal investigation for his work with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a human rights group. The court's investigation concluded this week and the ...
53m Mar 22, 2024
53m
NATO conducts biggest military exercises since Cold War
Across Europe, the NATO military alliance is conducting its largest exercises since the Cold War, with tens of thousands of troops from 32 countries. NATO officials and European leaders are adding to the sense of urgency, warning that a direct conflict with Russia is becoming an increasing threat. And, this week, the United Nations said Sudan's civil war is one of the worst humanitarian disaste...
49m Mar 21, 2024
49m
Haiti-Dominican Republic border tensions
The Dominican Republic has stationed 10,000 soldiers on their border with Haiti. Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez says his country’s national security is his top priority and does not support the establishment of a humanitarian corridor. And, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition, the US continues to push Israel to pursue a two-state solution with Palestinians — an inde...
49m Mar 20, 2024
49m
Japan opts for first interest rate hike in 17 years
Japan's central bank has raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years. It's a milestone in a long economic recovery and sign of something afoot in the Japanese economy. And, from "Stories From The Stage," Eson Kim tells a tale about how she was held up at gunpoint with her dad in the family's hardware store when she was 12 years old. What happened next forever changed her. Also, all but...
48m Mar 19, 2024
48m
Putin claims landslide election win
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed a landslide victory in the country's elections held over the weekend, which means another 6 years in the Kremlin. According to the Russian election commission, Putin won 87% of the vote, but most Western countries have said that the elections were neither free nor fair. And, US troops are being asked to leave Niger after the government there revoked a se...
49m Mar 18, 2024
49m