Liz Truss makes first address as new prime minister
Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss met with the queen in Balmoral on Tuesday where she was officially appointed to office. In a speech at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday afternoon, Truss promised to tackle the energy crisis and the ailing economy. The risk of a nuclear accident at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant is growing, according to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency...
47m Sep 06, 2022
47m
A Labor Day special
Economic troubles and a volatile political situation have made life tough in Sudan. But people are carrying on with their lives and enjoying their weekends. Hear how an animal rescue center has become a popular getaway for families. Also, The British parliament is considering whether invertebrates like lobsters and crabs should be classified as sentient beings, under a new "Animal Welfare (Sent...
49m Sep 05, 2022
49m
Argentina’s VP survives assassination attempt
A shooter's gun jammed in the process of attempting to assassinate Argentina's vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Supporters had been demonstrating outside her home since last week, when a prosecutor called for a 12-year prison sentence in connection to corruption charges during her tenure as president. Also, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have vowed to rema...
48m Sep 02, 2022
48m
UN report calls out China for human rights abuses
The UN Human Rights Commission released a long-awaited report detailing China's misuse of terrorism laws to subjugate Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang Province. And Sept. 1 marks the first day of school across Ukraine. The day is akin to a national holiday, but this year, schools across the country are trying to figure out how to manage the academic year while the country remains at war. Also, as Rus...
48m Sep 01, 2022
48m
Mikhail Gorbachev: A hero in the West
In the waning days of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev’s visions of perestroika and glasnost won him accolades in the West and changed the course of world events. But in Russia, he was blamed for bringing about economic collapse, political upheaval and the implosion of the Soviet Union. And, as Europe looks to the Arctic for energy, the Indigenous Sami people say they don't want the massive ...
48m Aug 31, 2022
48m
Iraq faces protests as Sadr leaves politics
After months of political impasse, Iraq is facing protests again. This time it comes after the powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced he is leaving politics for good. And many people who describe long COVID symptoms to their health care providers are met with suspicion, but their symptoms are real, says New York Times columnist Zeynep Tufekci. Also, the Dutch Refugee Council, a nongov...
47m Aug 30, 2022
47m
IAEA inspectors to visit Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
United Nations officials say they are sending inspectors to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of shelling the area. International Atomic Energy Agency experts say they will visit the plant later this week. And, water is in short supply in Monterrey, Mexico. Extreme drought has left three dams that serve the city of 5 million peo...
49m Aug 29, 2022
49m
The state of religion in France
In this special hour of The World, Paris-based reporter Rebecca Rosman takes a trip across France where she speaks to Catholics, Jews, Muslims and atheists about their right to believe, or not to believe, in France today.
53m Aug 27, 2022
53m
Concerns of nuclear catastrophe in Europe
For the first time in its history, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine was completely disconnected from the electric grid on Thursday. While power was restored, at least partially, on Friday, the event has raised serious concerns about the potential for a nuclear catastrophe in Europe. And, six months since Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine began, it's settled into an attritional grin...
48m Aug 26, 2022
48m
Rohingya mark 5 years since fleeing Myanmar
Five years ago today, soldiers carrying rifles and machetes began driving ethnic Rohingya from their homes in Myanmar in a wave of violence. Some called it a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” Nearly 1 million Rohingya people remain stateless. And in the German state of Lower Saxony, hydrogen-fueled trains are being introduced to reduce emissions and tackle the harmful effects of climate c...
47m Aug 25, 2022
47m
A somber Independence Day in Ukraine
In normal years, Independence Day in Ukraine would be marked with parades, concerts and flag-flying. But today, many Ukrainians observed the day with tributes to the thousands who have died since Russia invaded their country. And, polio has been found in the US, UK and Israel, and an oral polio vaccine appears to be the cause. In New York, London and Jerusalem, there have been isolated cases of...
47m Aug 24, 2022
47m
Extreme heat and drought in China cause major power cuts
Record-high temperatures and low rainfall in China are wreaking havoc on the country's power supplies. Factories are being forced to halt production, malls can only open for limited hours and many places have had to cut the lights and the air conditioning. And, with inflation at an alarming high rate and energy prices soaring, waves of workers in the United Kingdom are considering strikes, incl...
46m Aug 23, 2022
46m
Competing powers in Afghanistan
The Taliban are in control of Afghanistan but the past year has shown they are not a monolithic political movement. Other groups have emerged and are vying for power, including a nascent resistance movement. And William Ruto has been elected as Kenya's next president. Calling himself the "hustler," the fiercely religious father of six will be leading Africa's largest economy. Also, during World...
48m Aug 22, 2022
48m
Mexican commission deems state responsible for student disappearances
The truth panel in the Ayotzinapa case of the 43 missing students in Mexico has deemed state and local police responsible in the disappearances. Also, inexpensive camera drones are being flown above the battlefields in Ukraine. They're equipped with weapons and grenades. Also, in Singapore, the government begins executing inmates after a two-year pause due to COVID-19. And English and French ar...
48m Aug 19, 2022
48m
Slowdown in global trade contributing to world hunger
Ships loaded with grain are finally leaving Ukrainian ports, but the shipments aren’t nearly enough to meet global demand. And, some migrants fleeing war zones are increasingly being expelled from Europe even before they can apply for asylum in a practice known as "pushback." Plus, the EU is trying to deescalate tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. Also, some US-based online platforms are making...
47m Aug 18, 2022
47m
Heat waves wreaking havoc in the Mediterranean Sea
Heat waves in the Mediterranean Sea have led to “massive mortality” of marine species. Also, the US spent nearly two decades trying to rebuild Afghanistan. We look at where the country has been and where it's going. And, Panama is seeing protests over the high cost of living and fuel this summer, but social unrest is something jazz musician Danilo Perez has seen before in his country. Plus, pal...
48m Aug 17, 2022
48m
Fears of catastrophe growing at Ukrainian nuclear power plant
Workers inside Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are living through days and nights of constant stress. Outgoing Russian fire from the plant and fears of a nuclear catastrophe are growing. Also, Sri Lanka used to be a country on the rise. Now, even families who were once financially secure are struggling. The World looks at the impacts on two families that are being forced to make some...
47m Aug 16, 2022
47m
The Explosion: Bombing at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan (Kabul Falling, Episode 4)
With the evacuation deadline looming, Afghans race to Kabul airport in hopes of getting on a flight and escaping the Taliban regime. With help from Jake, an ex-Marine Corps officer, Tariq and his family manage to get in and board their plane for evacuation, after spending a harrowing night outside in a desolate yard. Abdul and his family also make it out — just hours before a suicide bomber det...
33m Aug 15, 2022
33m
1 year since Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
It's been one year since the abrupt and chaotic fall of the Afghan capital, Kabul. The speed with which the Taliban took over shocked many people. And, author Salman Rushdie continues to recover after an attack on his life last week. Iran’s former Supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a decree in 1989 calling for Rushdie's death, following the publication of his book, “Satanic Verses.” How i...
47m Aug 15, 2022
47m
Boris Johnson has less than a month left as British prime minister
Boris Johnson has less than a month to go as Britain’s prime minister. Two candidates are trying to convince Conservative voters in the UK that they’re the right ones to fill his shoes. Who are they and what do they stand for? Also, in today's show, The World concludes its series looking at how wars end. Plus, Serena Williams announced this week that she is stepping away from professional tenni...
47m Aug 12, 2022
47m
Who’s to blame for shelling at a nuclear site in Ukraine?
Ukraine and Russia are trading blame for shelling and fighting around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia currently occupies the site, while Ukraine is attempting to take back the territory. Also, tens of millions of tourists are overwhelming Venice, Italy. Authorities want to impose a fee on visitors who just come for the day. Plus, there’s a museum in Sweden dedicated to showing off ...
48m Aug 11, 2022
48m
Russian airbase attacked in Crimea
A Russian air base was attacked in Crimea on Tuesday. While it is not yet clear exactly who was behind the attack, it marks an escalation in the nearly six-month conflict between Russia and Ukraine. And the sudden death of author, playwright and filmmaker Biyi Bandele is a monumental loss to Nigeria's film industry. He is being mourned around the world. Also, rain is pummeling South Korea this ...
48m Aug 10, 2022
48m
Oil fire in Cuba jeopardizes frail electric system
In Cuba, a fire at a key oil terminal on the coast in Matanzas is out of control, causing explosions, injuring hundreds and killing a firefighter. The implications for Cuba's electric grid are also dire. And, millions of Kenyans take to the polls to vote for the country's new leader on Tuesday. For the first time, the election has largely been framed as a discussion about Kenya's haves and have...
47m Aug 09, 2022
47m
Blinken in South Africa on Africa tour
On the heels of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Africa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also heads to Africa. His itinerary takes him to South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. And the popular imagination about how wars end is often what the United States experienced with World War II, with cheering crowds and definitive winners and losers. But that's not ...
48m Aug 08, 2022
48m
Putin hosts Erdoğan for trade talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi on Friday. It comes after a Russian proposal, leaked by Ukrainian intelligence, suggests the Kremlin is seeking help from Turkey to evade Western sanctions. And Sri Lanka's financial crisis has led to shortages of essential drugs and medical equipment, such as catheters, morphine an...
48m Aug 05, 2022
48m
Brittney Griner gets 9-year sentence in Russia
In Moscow on Thursday, WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on drug charges. Griner was detained at the airport back in February, after security found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage. Last month, Griner pleaded guilty but said she packed the vape cartridges by mistake. And Kenya's presidential election is one week away, and polls show that the biggest...
48m Aug 04, 2022
48m
How is Europe handling its energy dilemma?
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it might “make sense” to extend the lives of Germany’s last nuclear power plants. The war in Ukraine, and Russia’s slowdown of gas deliveries to Germany have put Europe’s largest economy in a bind. And, amid Sri Lanka’s financial crisis and fuel shortage, people can’t afford enough fuel for cars and motorbikes. Many commuters in Colombo, the coun...
47m Aug 03, 2022
47m
Al-Qaeda’s top leader killed by US drone strike
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US has killed al-Qaeda’s top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan. Zawahiri was on the US' most-wanted list for about two decades and he had a $25 million bounty on his head. And, the pandemic took a huge toll on schools in India, particularly in rural areas. But a growing number of young people from big cities who are in the tech industry are vo...
48m Aug 02, 2022
48m
As Odesa port opens, Ukrainian corn ships to Lebanon
The port of Odesa is now open and shipping Ukrainian food to other parts of the world. But getting the first shipment of thousands of tons of corn to reach Lebanon on Monday is a perilous journey that must pass several inspections in the Bosphorus Strait. And people in an Italian seaside town stood by and did nothing as a Nigerian man was killed in broad daylight on a busy street last week. Thi...
47m Aug 01, 2022
47m
Russia launches airstrikes on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast
Five months into Russia’s invasion, Ukraine's military goes on the counteroffensive, including efforts to reclaim Kherson. And Russia has launched airstrikes on Ukraine's remaining Black Sea coast. And, ahead of Kenya's upcoming presidential election, Facebook is failing to detect hate speech that could fuel political violence in the country, according to a recent study by two nonprofits. A gov...
48m Jul 29, 2022
48m
Iraqi protesters storm Parliament, Green Zone
Iraqi protesters aligned with Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's political movement stormed the heavily militarized Green Zone and Iraqi Parliament building on Wednesday. The protesters eventually cleared out of the building, but political gridlock continues to plague Iraq. And, while Sweden and Finland's membership to NATO is still pending, the large Kurdish community in Sweden is worried that stri...
49m Jul 28, 2022
49m
US-China tensions over Pelosi plan to visit Taiwan
A Chinese official is warning of "serious consequences" if United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the island nation of Taiwan, a place Beijing considers a part of China. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to talk about this in a phone call scheduled for Thursday. And The Gambia's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission held hearings that document...
50m Jul 27, 2022
50m
Russia opts out of International Space Station
On Tuesday, Russia announced that it plans to end its collaboration on the International Space Station by 2024. It’s just the latest move away from international collaboration in space among major powers, including the US, Russia and China. And, more than 100,000 Uyghur Muslims are working against their will in factories that are major producers for key industries such as apparel and solar. The...
49m Jul 26, 2022
49m
Pope gives formal apology in Canada
Pope Francis is in Canada today, visiting the sites of former residential schools where Indigenous children were sent, frequently by force. They were funded by the Canadian government and administered in large part by the Catholic Church. And the World Health Organization declared the spread of monkeypox a global health emergency over the weekend. The disease has spread rapidly across Africa, E...
49m Jul 25, 2022
49m
Sri Lankan security cracks down on protesters
Less than a day after Sri Lanka’s new president was sworn in, security forces have cleared out a protest camp outside of the presidential office in Colombo, the capital. Demonstrators have been camped out there for three months, demanding new leadership and relief from crippling inflation and shortages of basic necessities. Also, developers are unable to find the cash to finish real estate proj...
49m Jul 22, 2022
49m
Protesters in Sri Lanka vow to oust new president
Sri Lanka’s new president, 73-year-old Ranil Wickremesinghe, was sworn in today. He has decades of experience in government, but he doesn’t have a lot of support among protesters, who have vowed to oust him. And after 16 months of relative stability in Italian politics, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi has resigned. Also, butterflies may seem abundant, but North American migratory monarchs h...
48m Jul 21, 2022
48m
Sri Lankan lawmakers choose new president amid turmoil
Lawmakers in Sri Lanka have elected Ranil Wickremesinghe, a former prime minister and veteran politician, as their new president. The choice comes with the risk of restarting unrest in the South Asian nation as it faces economic collapse. And this week, Russia’s TV Rain relaunched operations from its new headquarters in Latvia. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tightening restrictions ...
48m Jul 20, 2022
48m
Putin in Tehran for talks with Iran, Turkey
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Tehran on Tuesday. The trio is set to discuss the war in Syria and the so-called Astana peace process. And extreme temperatures are stressing infrastructure all over the world, impacting the future of bridges, roads and electrical grids. Also, Peruvian musician Renata Flore...
48m Jul 19, 2022
48m
Europe battles extreme heat wave, wildfires
Much of Europe is withering under a brutal, record-breaking heat wave. Wildfires across Spain, Greece and Portugal have forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Also, data shows that the number of public protests around the world has increased over the last decade, with the exception of the time period during the pandemic. And leaders in Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community have insi...
49m Jul 18, 2022
49m
Biden visits Saudia Arabia
US President Joe Biden is in Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Biden has said he’d make the kingdom “the pariah that it is.”  But as gas prices skyrocketed, he changed his tune. And the euro may be having its worst week in over 20 years, but that didn't stop the bloc from inviting Croatia to join the eurozone. The Balkan state is set to ditch ...
49m Jul 15, 2022
49m
Iran eyes Biden’s visit to the Middle East
President Joe Biden is in the Middle East this week talking with US allies. Iran is watching the visit with Israel and Saudi Arabia — its regional adversaries — very closely. And Pacific Island regional leaders agreed at a recent forum to consult with each other before signing onto individual security deals. The agreement is seen as a rejection of China's forays into influencing the region, mos...
47m Jul 14, 2022
47m
Biden heads to Middle East with focus on security
As US President Joe Bident heads to Israel, regional security is a top agenda item. Scheduled meetings with Israeli officials will focus on strengthening the regional relationships that Israel has forged with some of its Muslim neighbors. Biden will visit the occupied Palestinian territories in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. And a Russian hacking group’s attack on Costa Rican government data...
49m Jul 13, 2022
49m
Russia’s planned pipeline repairs has Germany worried
Moscow plans to shut off the gas supply to Germany for pipeline repairs. But will it turn the gas back on? We hear about the planned shutdown and what it means for Germany. And four-time gold medalist Mo Farah’s revelation that he was trafficked as a child to London puts the issue of child trafficking back into the spotlight. How do child traffickers operate and what can be done to stop them? P...
48m Jul 12, 2022
48m
Sri Lanka rocked by protests
Protesters in Sri Lanka occupied the president's residence in the capital Colombo over the weekend. They also set fire to the prime minister's residence nearby. Both men have said they will now resign after months of protests over the lack of fuel, food, and electricity cuts. And after a chaotic week in British politics, the scramble is now on to fill the seat of prime minister after Boris John...
47m Jul 11, 2022
47m
Former PM Shinzo Abe assassinated in Japan
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during a campaign speech on Friday in Nara, Japan. We hear reactions from Japan and thoughts on Abe's legacy in the country. Also, tennis player Peng Shuai has made few public appearances since last year when she accused a former high-ranking member of China's Communist Party of sexual assault. Since then, many in the global tennis and human ...
49m Jul 08, 2022
49m
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as leader of the Conservative Party. It took over 50 resignations from his government and the wider party for Johnson to finally concede defeat. And Europe — the leading clothes importer — seeks to crack down on environmentally destructive fast fashion by demanding factories to make sturdier clothes. But these p...
49m Jul 07, 2022
49m
UK’s Boris Johnson faces resignations over scandal
Two key ministers plus a dozen lesser ministers have resigned from Boris Johnson’s government, with more expected. These officials are responding to Johnson's most recent scandal: defending the hiring of a minister with a long history of sexual misconduct. And in June, Gustavo Petro won the presidential election in Colombia and became the nation's first leftist president, joining a wave of othe...
48m Jul 06, 2022
48m
Momentum tilts toward Russia in Ukraine war
Moscow's capture of the eastern city of Lysychansk this past weekend gives Russia total control of the Luhansk region. Russian troops are now looking to take even more territory further north in Donetsk. And as authorities have started to identify the bodies of the 53 migrants who lost their lives in an abandoned tractor-trailer in Texas, the portraits of the victims are slowly coming together....
49m Jul 05, 2022
49m
4th of July music special
Enjoy a compilation of music segments that have aired on The World, including a conversation with Ukraine’s Go_A band, which combines Ukrainian folk music and modern electronica. We also bring you UK breakout artist Joy Crookes, who is a student of history, born in London to a mother from Bangladesh and a father from Ireland. And a look at how the Beatles inspired a rock revolution in Argentina.
49m Jul 04, 2022
49m
Hong Kong marks 25 years since British handover
Hong Kong is marking its 25th anniversary since the United Kingdom handed over its administrative control to China as Chinese President Xi Jinping visits for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2019. And, a wildfire is threatening a centuries-old landmark: Peru’s Machu Picchu archaeological site. Plus, The Economist predicts that governments...
48m Jul 01, 2022
48m