Confrontation with migrants in Guatemala part of a Trump administration policy
Guatemalan soldiers forcefully prevented a large group of migrants who were attempting to walk across the country and eventually reach the US. The tough stand taken by Guatemala at its border is in large part because of policies put in place during the Trump administration. Also, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Tuesday that the Chinese Communist Party has “committed genocide” agains...
48m Jan 19, 2021
48m
Uganda’s Museveni reelected president amid calls of election fraud
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of the recent election and will begin his sixth term in office. But, the main opposition candidate is calling the election fraudulent. And, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s work and activism profoundly shaped the US, but it also has had a huge global impact. Also, Italian authorities are calling for proposals of a new, historically ac...
49m Jan 18, 2021
49m
Millions under lockdown in China after new coronavirus outbreak
China, which had no deaths from COVID-19 on its mainland for eight months, has responded to reports of 500 new cases by locking down 28 million people. Also, for the first time in its 30-year history, an Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, has called Israel an "apartheid regime" in a new report. And, the first place many of us go answers about any given subject is Wikipedia. The online encycl...
49m Jan 15, 2021
49m
Cleaning up the US Capitol after the riot
A now-viral photo shows New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim cleaning up the Capitol rotunda after the mob rampage. Rep. Kim speaks with The World’s Marco Werman. Also, China is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, but at the same time, it's at the forefront of renewable energy innovation and has some of the world's largest conservation projects. And, a group of artists in Istanbul turned an ab...
48m Jan 14, 2021
48m
Trump impeached in historic second time
Donald Trump was impeached for a second time Wednesday as the House of Representatives debated whether to remove the US president. And, Canadian authorities are considering designating the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group founded by a Canadian, as a terrorist organization in the wake of the crisis at the US Capitol. Also, the European Union's Food Safety Authority said on Wednesday that...
48m Jan 13, 2021
48m
Cuba again listed as a state sponsor of terrorism
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that Cuba will be re-designated a state sponsor of terrorism. And, on Thursday, millions of Ugandans will go to the polls to vote for president in an election that has been marked by violence and the arrest of opposition figures. Also, so-called “‘edible public spaces” can come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, ranging from a community garde...
49m Jan 12, 2021
49m
World on edge after attack on US Capitol
US President Donald Trump’s remaining days in office have the nation, and the world, on edge. And, even with all the available images of the storming of the US Capitol, it's still hard to comprehend. Many are asking how the attack was even possible? Also, The Guinness World Records has confirmed that Stig Severinsen has broken the world distance record for swimming with fins with just one breath.
48m Jan 11, 2021
48m
Attack on US Capitol raises national security concerns
The attack on US Capitol building Wednesday by a mob of pro-Trump extremists has raised new questions about US national security. And, the top infectious disease doctor in the US and incoming medical adviser to President-elect Joe Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci, discusses the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, lessons from the past, and what changes to expect in the US response as Biden takes office. Als...
49m Jan 08, 2021
49m
A lens on the US after violence on Capitol Hill 
The US has presented itself as a beacon of democracy around the world. How have the events of this week impacted the US’ image? And, among those who stormed the Capitol on Wednesday were supporters of QAnon, a dangerous conspiracy theory that has grown internationally. Also, host Carol Hills speaks with Sri Lankan writer Indi Samarajiva who shares his experience living through the recent coup i...
48m Jan 07, 2021
48m
US on edge during transition of power
The peaceful transition of power is a democratic principle that for the most part hasn't been challenged here in the US. But this year, after this election, many Americans are nervous as angry supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday. And, in contrast to other vaccination programs, in Israel, health officials have been vaccinating about 1.5% of the population eve...
47m Jan 06, 2021
47m
India begins ambitious COVID-19 vaccination campaign
Health professionals in India are gearing up to begin the world’s most ambitious vaccination campaign after officials there approved the emergency use of two COVID-19 vaccines. And, one of the main issues the US President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will be dealing with when it enters the White House is the war in Afghanistan. Also, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain have ended their 3-year-ol...
47m Jan 05, 2021
47m
Tensions high one year after US attack that killed Iran’s Soleimani
It’s been one year since the US killed Iran’s top military commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone attack in Iraq. And, on the campaign trail, Democratic candidate Joe Biden said he would end a Trump administration program that makes asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border wait out their court cases in Mexico. President-elect Biden has walked back the timeline of his promise. So what’s next? Also, ...
50m Jan 04, 2021
50m
Brexit ends as the UK and EU formally separate
Britain has finally severed ties with the European Union ending the Brexit saga. Leaving the EU also marked the end of the Erasmus exchange program, which allowed students to live and study in any other EU country for a year. And, there's a lot of hope riding on 2021. What are the important trends that will shape the year ahead? Also, the University of Texas at San Antonio is home to a collecti...
50m Jan 01, 2021
50m
The pop culture that got us through 2020
In 2020, we leaned on videos, music and books more than ever to keep us sane and connected. The World's correspondents check in on the global pop culture trends that captured our lives on lockdown, from Iceland to Kenya to Mexico. And, the 1918 flu pandemic was overshadowed by the destruction of World War I but it still left a lasting cultural legacy — including zombie literature and Ouija boar...
51m Dec 31, 2020
51m
Why is the UK approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine now?
Why is the UK approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine now? And, with dosing details changing over time, what exactly, have they approved? As money from the $900 billion US pandemic relief package starts landing in Americans’ bank accounts, we take a comparative look at how other countries have handled economic stimulus during the pandemic. And Argentina's Senate voted to legalize abortions up ...
49m Dec 30, 2020
49m
Colombia to refuse coronavirus vaccines for undocumented immigrants
Colombian President Iván Duque says his administration will not provide vaccines for undocumented immigrants in the country. It's estimated more than 1 million people from Venezuela are living in Colombia without authorization. And, China is building a southern wall along its border with Myanmar, which is struggling to control the spread of COVID-19. Also, Russia on Monday updated its coronavir...
51m Dec 29, 2020
51m
Coronavirus vaccine program begins across the EU
A coordinated effort to vaccinate the population of Europe against the coronavirus got underway on Sunday in what the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described as a "moment of unity" for the continent. And, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says that no civilians were killed during the weeks of military operations in the country’s north. But more than 50,000 Ethiopian refugees wh...
49m Dec 28, 2020
49m
The World's favorite stories from 2020
Host Marco Werman hits pause on 2020 negativity and revisits some fun stories from a year we'd just as soon forget. Sourdough baking, virtual living, and Norwegian tips to get you through the cold. How people around the globe got through the year. --- We’re only 288 people away from reaching our goal of 1,000 donors! When you give $100 or more to support the show, you’ll not only receive an i...
52m Dec 25, 2020
52m
EU and UK finally reach a Brexit deal
After five years of negotiation, consternation and debate, the EU and the UK have finally reached a Brexit trade deal. And for the holiday season, we bring you an hour devoted to literature, music and food — like the obsessive ritual of making British Christmas pudding — along with some of our favorite stories from 2020. Also, reporters in Greece, Israel and Mexico tell us how people there cele...
51m Dec 24, 2020
51m
Trump pardons four Blackwater security guards who killed Iraqi civilians
With less than one month left in the White House, President Donald Trump has granted pardons to four Blackwater security guards responsible for the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007. And with thousands of truck drivers held up since Sunday at Dover port, scuffles ensued with British police when they realized they would not make it home for Christmas. And, we look at how religious rituals an...
50m Dec 23, 2020
50m
The debate over the effectiveness of COVID-19 travel restrictions
The discovery of new variants of the coronavirus in the UK and South Africa have prompted a wave of travel bans around the world. But it's an open question as to whether these measures are actually effective. And, there's a potential humanitarian disaster unfolding along the border between Ethiopia and Sudan as a simmering conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has displaced tens of thou...
50m Dec 22, 2020
50m
Coronavirus Conversations: The year ahead in the pandemic
What will the next year bring in the coronavirus pandemic? As part of our regular series of conversations about COVID-19 and as a special here in The World's podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with epidemiologist Michael Mina from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
46m Dec 22, 2020
46m
Countries ban travel from UK over variant coronavirus fears
Over 40 countries worldwide have now banned travelers from Britain over concerns about the spread of a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus. Also, this past summer, Russian dissident leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned. Over the past two weeks, a joint news investigation is shedding light on many of the missing details about this attack. The "Jurassic Park" film series is the inspirat...
50m Dec 21, 2020
50m
Preparing for the largest vaccination effort in history
The world is readying for the largest vaccination effort in history, amid a pandemic that has killed millions. There is an effort to ensure equitable global, but several countries have already started vaccinations. And, this week the European Union’s top court ruled Hungary's asylum policies breached EU law. Also, a conversation with NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy who spent 196 days in space this...
50m Dec 18, 2020
50m
The Arab uprisings, 10 years later
The World presents a special edition focusing on the start of the Arab uprisings in 2010. The uprisings began in Tunisia, with the self-immolation of fruit seller Mohamed Bouazizi, 10 years ago on Thursday, and quickly spread to several Arab countries, leading to the fall of dictators. A decade later, we ask: What is the legacy of the Arab uprisings and how are people remembering the events? ...
50m Dec 17, 2020
50m
Landmark UK ruling finds air pollution among causes of girl’s death
A landmark coroner’s ruling in London has found that 9-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah’s death in 2013 was caused by acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and air pollution exposure. And, new evidence from Chinese government documents and media reports revealed that hundreds of thousands of ethnic minority laborers in Xinjiang are being forced to pick cotton. Also, lab-grown meat will be on the m...
51m Dec 16, 2020
51m
Coronavirus Conversations: Airborne transmission, ventilation, and reopening schools and workplaces
What is the latest scientific guidance on airborne COVID-19 transmission? And how might that shape strategies around reopening schools and workplaces? As part of our regular series of conversations about the coronavirus and as a special episode in The World' podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with and Harvard's healthy buildings expert Joseph Allen.
43m Dec 16, 2020
43m
World marks a milestone with COVID-19 vaccine rollout
From Canada to the UK and the US, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has crossed a major milestone in being deployed in public COVID-19 vaccine programs. But lots of other vaccine efforts are in the works around the globe, with greater and lesser success. And, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on winning the US election. He was one of the last world leaders to...
50m Dec 15, 2020
50m
EU set to overhaul internet rules
The European Commission is gearing up to unveil a set of major proposals aimed at reigning in big online platforms and marking the first big overhaul of the European Union’s internet rules in decades. And, it's been almost four full years since the start of Brexit negotiations between the United Kingdom and EU. But, the ending of the saga remains uncertain. Also, Franco Belgian cellist Camille ...
50m Dec 14, 2020
50m
What's the future of DACA?
A federal judge recently ordered the Trump administration to reinstate DACA — the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program— to its original form and to start accepting new applications. But the window of time to do so might be short-lived. And, what are the implications of the newly inked deal between Israel and Morocco to normalize relations? Also, with the blessing of Sting, Benin-born ...
51m Dec 11, 2020
51m
Coronavirus Conversations: Surging coronavirus cases and new vaccines
As coronavirus cases spike, the US and other countries are looking to measures such as COVID-19 vaccines and rapid self-testing. But steps such as mask-wearing and social distancing remain critical. As part of our regular series of conversations about the pandemic and as a special episode in The World's podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Harvard epidemiologist Megan...
41m Dec 11, 2020
41m
Morocco and Israel to normalize ties
Big news in the Middle East today: Israel and Morocco have agreed to normalize relations. And in Lebanon, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and three former government ministers have been charged with negligence related to the explosion that rocked the port of Beirut in August. And, in what could be a dramatic development in global antitrust in decades, more than 40 US states and the federal...
50m Dec 10, 2020
50m
Brazil’s political tug of war over coronavirus vaccines
Debate over the safety and effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines to be used in Brazil is becoming a political tug of war. And, more than 10 years since Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky’s death inspired the US Magnitsky Act, which sanctions human rights abuses, the EU has approved its own human rights sanctions law. Also, to fend off boredom during the latest pandemic lockdown, the Sea Life Londo...
50m Dec 09, 2020
50m
Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin tapped to head the Pentagon
If confirmed as President-elect Joe Biden’s secretary of defense, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin will be the first Black man to lead the Pentagon. And, it’s “V-Day” in Britain — “V” for vaccine — as the UK on Tuesday became the first Western nation to start vaccinating people against the coronavirus. China and Nepal have long debated the actual height of the world’s tallest mountain, which borders t...
50m Dec 08, 2020
50m
Despite risks, European countries to ease coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas
Several European countries are planning to ease coronavirus lockdowns for the Christmas holidays despite the risk that lifting restrictions could cause COVID-19 cases to skyrocket. And, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s political alliance claimed a sweeping victory Monday in congressional elections boycotted by the most influential opposition politicians. Also, Kenya's Kibiwott Kandie broke...
45m Dec 07, 2020
45m
COVID-19 drives an increase in hunger that hits women hardest
The economic fallout from COVID-19 has driven an unprecedented increase in hunger — up 82% from a year ago, to an astounding 270 million people categorized as chronically hungry around the world. And, it’s now less than four weeks before Britain’s relationship with the European Union officially ends. Businesses across both sides of the channel are worried and one unexpected casualty could be ch...
50m Dec 04, 2020
50m
(Special episode) Things That Go Boom: The Blob
In 1958, a movie about a man-eating, bloodcurdling mass from outer space introduced the world to "The Blob." But in recent years, that term has taken on a whole new meaning among foreign policy professionals in Washington. What exactly defines this Blob can be as amorphous as the movie monster, so we reached out to three people to explain who exactly belongs in this group. The term, we learned,...
33m Dec 04, 2020
33m
Growing concern over China’s crackdown on pro-democracy activists
Several prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates have been sent to jail. The crackdown has led many activists to seek exile. And, US policy toward Iran will be one of the major issues that President-elect Joe Biden will face and Iran’s nuclear program is already at the center of attention. Earlier this week, Iran’s Parliament passed a bill that would suspend UN inspections and boost uranium ...
49m Dec 03, 2020
49m
Hope grows in Britain as COVID-19 vaccine is approved
In just a few days, people in Britain will be receiving the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine. The United Kingdom on Wednesday became the first country to grant approval for the vaccine from US company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. And, this week outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attacked Turkey during a virtual meeting of NATO foreign ministers. He accused the country of prov...
49m Dec 02, 2020
49m
(Special episode) FRONTLINE: I’m Not A Monster
An American mother living in the heart of the ISIS caliphate. Her husband an ISIS sniper. Her 10-year-old son forced to threaten the US president in a propaganda video shown around the world. She claims she was tricked into taking her young children to war-torn Syria, but where does her account end and the truth begin? From our partners at GBH and FRONTLINE and as a special podcast in The Worl...
20m Dec 02, 2020
20m
Mexico’s deadly struggle to contain the coronavirus
The pandemic has hit Mexico hard. The country ranks fourth — behind the US, Brazil and India — in confirmed deaths from COVID-19. And, one theory about the origins of the coronavirus is that it was transmitted from bats to another animal and then to people. The missing link could be the pangolin, which could be a "time bomb" for the next pandemic. Also, there’s relief among fans of the megafamo...
50m Dec 01, 2020
50m
Coronavirus outbreak among Greek Orthodox Church leaders raises alarm
Greece, like many parts of the world, is dealing with unprecedented COVID-19 cases. Now, a debate about the role of the Greek Orthodox Church in the pandemic has resurfaced following the COVID-19-related death of a senior clergyman and the hospitalization of the head of the church. And, the former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy's nickname was the "bling-bling president." On Monday, Sarkozy was i...
50m Nov 30, 2020
50m
Iranian nuclear scientist killed outside of Tehran
Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed near Tehran on Friday. Fakhrizadeh was said to be Iran's most senior nuclear scientist and has been described by diplomats as the "father of the Iranian bomb." And, there was jubilation at the start of the week when the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced results from phase three trials for a vaccine for the coronavirus. But scien...
50m Nov 27, 2020
50m
Four musicians grapple with the same question: What is home?
This special episode of The World, called “Movement,” tells stories of global migration through music. Co-hosted by The World’s host Marco Werman and Ethiopian American singer Meklit Hadero, the show blends song and narrative in a meditation on what it means to be American. We follow an undocumented singer in San Francisco on a long-awaited trip back to Mexico, reflect on the experience of exil...
52m Nov 26, 2020
52m
What pandemic lockdowns look like outside the US
Air travel in the US is at the highest it's been since March as Americans head home for the Thanksgiving holiday. But in other parts of the world, like Greece, strict lockdowns would prevent this kind of movement. And, in the United Kingdom, calls to "save Christmas" are making some people of other faiths feel ignored. Plus, "The Queen's Gambit" is a hit on Netflix. Meet the man behind the game...
50m Nov 25, 2020
50m
The US State Department’s future under the Biden administration
As President-elect Joe Biden announces his picks for the State Department's top positions, experts are making recommendations for how the department needs to change. And, clashes between Ethiopia's federal government and rebels in the northern region of Tigray have continued for three weeks, displacing tens of thousands of people, with no end in sight. Also, the first time, the Oxford English D...
48m Nov 24, 2020
48m
(Special edition) Mobilizing Latino voters: Perspectives from Texas and Arizona
Grassroots organizations were key to mobilizing Latino voters across the US for the historic 2020 presidential election. As part of The World's "Every 30 Seconds" project and as a special podcast in The World's feed, senior editor Daisy Contreras moderated a live discussion exploring the role of two organizations from two important states: Arizona and Texas. What was the strategy to get Latinos...
47m Nov 24, 2020
47m
President-elect Biden signals shift from Trump’s foreign policy with cabinet picks
President-elect Joe Biden is signaling a stark shift from the Trump administration’s “America First” policies with his likely selection of centrist Antony Blinken for the coveted secretary of state slot. And, Ethiopia has profited from Chinese investment, which is credited with restarting the East African nation's economy. But an internal struggle between Ethiopia's central government and the o...
49m Nov 23, 2020
49m
Challenges await the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine
Once a vaccine for COVID-19 is approved, UNICEF is planning to do a massive airlift to get the vaccine to countries who need it, especially poorer ones. What will it take to get the vaccine distributed? And, Australia has released a scathing report that finds that members of Australian special forces unlawfully killed 39 people in Afghanistan. Also, mental health has become a growing concern in...
49m Nov 20, 2020
49m
Coronavirus Conversations: Mental health and 'pandemic fatigue' ahead of the holidays
The coronavirus crisis is leading to mental health and lockdown fatigue. How are people coping with ongoing needs to social distance, wear masks and stay at home? As part of our regular conversation series on the pandemic and as a special podcast in The World's feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health psychiatric epidemiologist Karestan K...
39m Nov 20, 2020
39m