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
NATO summit reinforces US ties to Europe
At the NATO summit on Thursday, US President Joe Biden announced that NATO is "more united than ever.” Changes to the bloc include an increased US presence in Europe, more US troops on NATO's eastern flank and a new permanent US base in Poland. And in northern India on Thursday, thousands of people took to the streets in Udaipur to protest the murder of a Hindu tailor. They were calling for the...
59m Jun 30, 2022
59m
Finland, Sweden to join NATO
Wednesday at the NATO summit, US President Joe Biden announced a plan for new US military deployments to Europe including creating a new permanent US military headquarters in Poland. NATO also formally invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. Turkey was threatening to veto their membership aspirations on grounds the countries were supporting terrorists. Now, the memorandum says they wil...
50m Jun 29, 2022
50m
NATO leaders gather for historic summit
NATO members are gathering in Madrid for what many are calling the most important summit in at least a generation. From the war in Ukraine to the threat of China's rising power, much is at stake. And, as leaders prepare for the NATO summit this week we look at the outsized role of the US within NATO and its direct support of Ukraine’s military. Plus, language learning app Duolingo recently adde...
49m Jun 28, 2022
49m
US abortion ruling reversal reverberates globally
Efforts to expand reproductive freedom in the US in recent decades have propelled similar changes in other countries. Now that the US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, that momentum could flip. And, the Chinese trend of made-to-order videos featuring African children often contain racist, exploitative content. A recent expose has triggered calls for this to end. Also, local farmers in H...
50m Jun 27, 2022
50m
US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, revealing a canyonlike divide across the nation over the right to terminate a pregnancy. Abortion rights supporters condemned the decision as a dark day in history, while abortion foes rejoiced and said it will save countless lives. Also, in Lebanon, a pregnancy can only be terminated if three doctors agree that a person's life is at risk. ...
49m Jun 24, 2022
49m
Weapons from Germany arrive in Ukraine
The first delivery of heavy weapons from Germany arrived in Ukraine this week, marking the end to a longstanding policy not to send lethal aid into active conflict zones. In a country where history looms large, many Germans are uneasy with their country’s new proximity to war. Also, Southeast Asia is opening up to tourists this summer for the first time since the pandemic began. But Chinese tou...
49m Jun 23, 2022
49m
Devastating earthquake hits Afghanistan
Rescuers are trying to reach provinces in eastern Afghanistan after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook the area on Wednesday. Initial reports suggest a high death toll and injuries. And Mohamad Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, is in Turkey on Wednesday for a visit with President Recep Erdoğan. The visit is seen as the two sides normalizing relations following the 2018 murder of Saudi jour...
49m Jun 22, 2022
49m
Extreme flooding in northeast India
The state of Assam in northeast India has seen the worst flooding in generations. Weeks of monsoon rains have caused the largest rivers to overflow, flooding 32 of the state's 35 districts. Also, many US manufacturers rely on products from China’s Xinjiang region, where forced labor is common. New rules that come into force on Tuesday require firms to prove a “complete digital chain of custody”...
49m Jun 21, 2022
49m
A political shift in Colombia
Voters in Colombia have chosen a left-wing president for the first time, signaling a shift in the nation's politics. Also, ethnic tensions continue in Ethiopia following an attack on Sunday that killed more than 200 people. And in Germany, officials say they are ready to fire up coal power plants again in an effort to save on natural gas, which may impact climate targets. ​​The World relies ...
50m Jun 20, 2022
50m
World Trade Organization reaches agreement on vaccine sharing
The World Trade Organization has reached an agreement on vaccine sharing. The deal allows for ways to circumvent intellectual property rules to manufacture, import and export lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Still, many view the result as a disappointment. Also, on Sunday, Colombians head to the polls to elect their next president. Their choices: a right-wing real estate billionaire...
50m Jun 17, 2022
50m
European leaders meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv today, to show support for Ukraine and its defense against the Russian invasion. The high-profile visit demonstrates Europe's measure of support for Ukraine as the war continues. And rents in the Ukrainian city of Lviv have finally leveled out after ballooning at the start of the war, but they're still ...
49m Jun 16, 2022
49m
Avoiding war between US and China
The risk of war between the US and China is on the rise. Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd discusses how the two superpowers can step away from the precipice. Also, in Southeast Asia, 99.9% of the regional population breathes in air with pollution levels high above World Health Organization standards, according to a new University of Chicago study. Plus, Ukraine is often known for its...
50m Jun 15, 2022
50m
Ukrainian troops face shortages on the frontlines of eastern Donbas
Ukrainian soldiers are having to make do with shortages of weapons and supplies on the frontlines in eastern Donbas, according to Ukrainian MP Mariana Bezugla, who is hunkered down there with the troops. Also, a fight between Turkish and Afghan teenagers has set off a series of attacks against migrant workers who pick up trash around Istanbul. As the country's economy worsens, tensions between ...
49m Jun 14, 2022
49m
UK plan to send migrants to Rwanda faces legal challenges
Faced with rising numbers of migrants and asylum-seekers crossing the English Channel on boats, the British government came up with a plan to fly them to Rwanda to apply for asylum there. Now, the plan is facing legal challenges, and it might not even happen. And, in 1962, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro banned professional sports in Cuba, and encouraged athletes to pursue amateur careers. No...
49m Jun 13, 2022
49m
US pledges $300 million in migration support at Americas Summit
The Summit of the Americas started with discord but ended the week on a high note. The United States unveiled a long list of measures to confront the migration crisis in the Western Hemisphere and pledged $300 million to tackle the problems. And the Polish government is being accused of setting up a "pregnancy register" to document all the pregnancies in the country. The country's Health Minist...
50m Jun 10, 2022
50m
Global gas prices soar at the pump
Gas prices in the US are at an all-time high, according to the American Automobile Association. But on the other side of the Atlantic in Europe, they're paying much more. And, earlier this month, the State Department dropped a massive report that looked at the state of religious freedom in some 200 countries. Also, this month in Rome, Pope Francis canonized 10 new saints. He's named a record nu...
49m Jun 09, 2022
49m
US woman pleads guilty to leading ISIS battalion
Allison Fluke-Ekren, from Kansas, has pleaded guilty to organizing and leading an all-female military battalion on behalf of ISIS. According to court documents, Fluke-Ekren trained women on to how to use assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts. And in Brazil, journalist Dom Phillips and anthropologist Bruno Pereira have gone missing from one of the largest Indigenous territories in the Amazo...
49m Jun 08, 2022
49m
Diplomatic firestorm over anti-Muslim sentiment in India
A diplomatic firestorm has engulfed India’s ruling party, the BJP, following the sanctioning of two party spokespersons over insulting remarks the pair are reported to have made toward Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Several Gulf countries described the comments as “insulting.” And in April, the UN refugee agency said it was on "high alert" for cases of human trafficking among Ukrainian refugee...
48m Jun 07, 2022
48m
Latin America's growing dissatisfaction with Washington
Several Latin American and Caribbean heads of state, including the president of Mexico, aren’t showing up to the ninth annual Summit of the Americas. A former ambassador discusses Latin America's growing dissatisfaction with Washington’s approach to the region. Plus, gunmen stormed a church in Nigeria over the weekend, leaving 50 people dead and many more injured. Experts say this is an example...
49m Jun 06, 2022
49m
100 days of war in Ukraine
Friday marks 100 days of war in Ukraine. During that time, death, destruction and displacement has occurred on a massive scale, and it’s difficult to accurately count the human toll. We hear about how Ukraine's seed bank is under threat amid the mass destruction of other critical infrastructure. Also, at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, the chairmen of the African Union, Senegal's Pr...
51m Jun 03, 2022
51m
Travel chaos as COVID restrictions end in Europe
Hundreds of flights have been grounded across Europe this week with British airports particularly badly affected. Airport and airline operators blame the end of COVID-19-related restrictions and a lack of trained employees for the delays. And in Kenya, conflicting legislation on abortion has stirred confusion about what is and is not illegal. Also, Japan's government has pledged to achieve net-...
50m Jun 02, 2022
50m
British Columbia decriminalizes illicit drugs
In a first for Canada, British Columbia has joined a handful of regions around the world in decriminalizing small amounts of illicit drugs. The decision, granted by the federal government, comes amid a massive overdose crisis that has only worsened during the pandemic. Also, Italian officials have been circulating a four-point peace plan for Ukraine, calling on Kyiv to give up territory to Russ...
49m Jun 01, 2022
49m
After EU oil ban, Russia vows to find new buyers
European Union leaders agreed to punish Russia for its Ukraine invasion with sanctions banning the purchase of crude oil delivered to EU states by sea. Moscow has vowed to find other importers for their crude oil. And in response to the string of mass shootings this year in the US, neighboring Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government will put forth legislation freezi...
48m May 31, 2022
48m
Will the move away from Russian energy speed up renewable energy development?
The World's Memorial Day special is focusing on energy. Much of the world is working to wean itself off of Russian energy in the short-term, which in some cases means building up new fossil fuel infrastructure to secure supplies from different countries. At the same time, countries are struggling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but falling behind on climate targets. Which raises a question:...
50m May 30, 2022
50m
Russian naval blockade has ripple effects worldwide
Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, Moscow’s navy has blockaded Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Its impact is having ripple effects all around the world. Also, pandemic restrictions have prevented most asylum-seekers hoping to enter the US from Mexico from entering. The Biden administration tried to end the practice on Monday, but a judge in Louisiana blocked it, at least for now. And in Isr...
48m May 27, 2022
48m
China’s influence campaign in the Pacific
China has dangled security agreements and cooperation on communications and cybersecurity before 10 Pacific nations. The Federated States of Micronesia has warned them not to go along with China. Also, Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has made the company a lot of money — tens of billions of dollars in sales. Those dizzying returns have led to accusations of pandemic profiteering. Also, the Marcos fam...
49m May 26, 2022
49m
US is an outlier on gun violence
Following the mass shooting on Tuesday at an elementary school in Texas, US Senator Chris Murphy gave an impassioned speech to Congress highlighting America's exceptionality when it comes to gun violence when compared to other countries. And around the world, few treatments exist for long COVID. In the UK, a group of medical specialists and professional opera singers are examining if opera sing...
48m May 25, 2022
48m
3 months of war in Ukraine
It’s been three months since Russia began its invasion into Ukraine on Feb. 24. Most of the fighting has shifted to areas in eastern Ukraine such as the Donbas and Kharkiv regions. And a trove of leaked police files and photos from Xinjiang, in western China, has revealed more than 2,800 mugshots of Uyghur detainees in what China terms "reeducation" camps, along with a shoot-to-kill policy for ...
48m May 24, 2022
48m
US says it will intervene militarily if China attacks Taiwan
President Joe Biden said during a summit in Tokyo that the US will get involved militarily in the event that China attacks Taiwan. Beijing responded by expressing opposition to the comments. And, new technology often gets tested in war zones. In Ukraine, one particular form of technology has taken hold within the Ukrainian army — facial recognition. Plus, a sobering statistic: 100 million peopl...
49m May 23, 2022
49m
Biden in South Korea on first Asia trip as president
US President Joe Biden arrived in South Korea on Friday and will meet with leaders from Japan, Australia and India on his first trip to Asia as president. The White House seeks to rally its allies in Asia to send a message to China against bullying its neighbors. And the UN human rights office has confirmed 8,000 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 3,800 deaths, since Russia invaded the c...
48m May 20, 2022
48m
Mariupol soldiers face uncertain fate
On Monday, 260 Ukrainian fighters surrendered at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. The troops were taken to areas under Russian control and now face an uncertain fate. Also, Secretary-General António Guterres says that the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine has fueled unprecedented world hunger. In just two years, the number of food-insecure people has doubled to over 276 million worl...
48m May 19, 2022
48m
Baby formula shortage in US linked to global trade policy
For weeks now, baby formula has been hard to find in some US states. Amid pandemic supply chain issues and a formula plant shutdown, global trade policy is also responsible for the crisis. And on Tuesday, an armed opposition group tried to take power in Tripoli, Libya’s capital, sparking armed clashes between rivals. We hear about the challenges Libya faces toward the establishment of a unity g...
47m May 18, 2022
47m