WHO: Countries must hold off on COVID-19 boosters to promote vaccine equity
The World Health Organization took a clear stance this week on COVID-19 booster shots: Countries must hold off because the majority of people, globally, have yet to receive their first dose. And since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, tens of thousands of ancient artifacts and art pieces have been looted and smuggled out of the country. This week, the US agreed to return more than 17,000 artifac...
50m Aug 05, 2021
50m
Taliban militants attack Herat, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities
For the first time since the 1990s, Taliban militants in recent days attacked the western city of Herat, one of Afghanistan's largest cities. Fighting in the vicinity of Herat's airport has grounded flights for several days. Also, Ethiopia has suspended aid operations with Doctors Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council in its Tigray region, as hundreds of thousands of people there li...
49m Aug 04, 2021
49m
Teen track star Athing Mu wins historic gold 
Athing Mu, 19, made history on the track in Tokyo by winning gold for the US in the 800-meter race. This was the first time the US has claimed the top spot since the 1968 Games in Mexico City. And, the hourglass-shaped dùndún, known as the “talking drum,” has been a part of West African music for hundreds of years. A musicologist found that the instrument replicates tones and patterns of the Yo...
48m Aug 03, 2021
48m
Myanmar military extends state of emergency
Six months after a military coup in Myanmar, the generals who seized power have announced the formation of a new government, promising “free and fair” elections in at least two years. But almost no one seems to believe them. Also, winemakers have been adjusting to warming temperatures for years, picking grapes earlier and earlier each season. But this year, freak frosts and searing high tempera...
49m Aug 02, 2021
49m
Looking to other countries for lessons on shifting to electric vehicles
Figuring out how to keep electric vehicles powered up remains a major challenge. Other nations have already traveled down this path of trial and error — a road we're following. Also, the delta variant of the coronavirus is everywhere. Because of that, global leaders are reassessing mask guidance, mandates and vaccine requirements. And, the Philippines is reversing its decision to void a long-te...
48m Jul 30, 2021
48m
US mask policy falls in line with global recommendations
At this point during the pandemic, should people wear masks in public? After saying no in May, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its stance and the reversal actually falls in line with much of the rest of the world. Also, since the 2019 revolution in Sudan, laws that restricted women’s dress and behavior have been abolished. But for many women, those political changes ar...
49m Jul 29, 2021
49m
Intense wildfires burn in Siberia
Wildfires in Siberia are burning intensely and carbon emissions are near an all-time high from Russian fires. We look at what's causing the blazes and how they compare to fires raging across North America. Also, a Myanmar swimmer has surrendered his Olympic dreams and a shot at his nation's first Olympic medal, all to protest the country's military. And, Cubans and Haitians have emigrated to th...
48m Jul 28, 2021
48m
Madagascar suffers worst drought in decades
The island nation of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean is suffering through its worst drought in four decades. Also, the Kremlin doubles down on its suppression of all-things associated with Alexei Navalny. The opposition politician is already in jail after surviving a poisoning attempt. This week, Moscow blocked nearly 50 websites connected to Navalny. Plus, mermaid classes have become extremely ...
49m Jul 27, 2021
49m
Tunisian President Kais Saied seizes power
Tunisian President Kais Saied fired the country's prime minister and suspended its parliament. Tunisia's main opposition party, Ennahda, called the move a "coup.” And Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and US President Joe Biden will sign an agreement on Monday to officially end US military combat missions in Iraq by the end of 2021. Also, more than half of Australia's population is under ...
48m Jul 26, 2021
48m
China's President Xi Jinping visits Tibet
China's President Xi Jinping has made a surprise visit this week to the contested, autonomous region of Tibet. And, in the tumultuous days since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, some members of the Haitian diaspora are looking to play a role in shaping Haiti's future. Also, since US President Joe Biden announced the unconditional withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, th...
48m Jul 23, 2021
48m
Canada to reopen land border with the US
On Aug. 9, Canada will reopen its land border to Americans who have been fully vaccinated. But Mexico isn't ready to lift its restrictions on nonessential travelers and neither is the US. And, Americans love ice cream, but in the past five years, the popularity of frozen treats in China has exploded. The country now has the largest ice cream market in the world. Also, while billionaires like Je...
47m Jul 22, 2021
47m
Indonesia struggles as it becomes the world’s latest COVID hot spot
COVID-19 is tearing through Indonesia, where the total case count is nearing 3 million and the infection rates have skyrocketed since mid-May. And today, UNESCO announced it is revoking Liverpool’s World Heritage status, over concerns about the city's waterfront redevelopment plans. Also, a rocket attack in Kabul, near the presidential palace, is yet another reminder of the worsening security s...
49m Jul 21, 2021
49m
Haiti announces new prime minister
Following the assassination of Haiti’s president, it remained unclear who would take charge. On Tuesday, Haitian officials announced that interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is stepping down and making way for Ariel Henry. Last year, many facilities run by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement became COVID-19 hot spots. Now, infections at these facilities are rising again. Also, for decades u...
48m Jul 20, 2021
48m
Extreme weather raises questions about climate prediction models
From blistering heat waves to massive flooding, recent extreme weather has some climate scientists surprised. Are climate models keeping up with the rapid pace of change? And, the US and its allies formally blame China for the hacking of a Microsoft Exchange email server that affected tens of thousands of computers in March. Also, Sudan was a self-described Islamic state under dictator Omar al-...
49m Jul 19, 2021
49m
Catastrophic floods in Europe
Devastating floods in western Germany and Belgium have left at least 108 people dead and more than 1,300 others missing. And, Cuba is a world leader in medicine, and has quickly developed its own promising COVID-19 vaccine. About a quarter of the population has received at least one dose. Also, we hear from Brazilian musician Rodrigo Amarante about “Drama,” his second solo album, as well as his...
48m Jul 16, 2021
48m
LGBTQ attacks in Georgia prompt push for more accountability 
After Georgia’s LGBTQ community faced violence at a Pride event in Tbilisi last week, politicians say more action is needed and urged for accountability. And, vigils and protests continue in India over the death of 84-year-old Jesuit priest Stan Swamy. US and United Nations leaders have expressed concern about his death in an Indian prison. This week, the Italian government banned large cruise ...
48m Jul 15, 2021
48m
FBI foils Iranian kidnapping plot
Iranian intelligence agents plotted an abduction on US soil. The alleged target: Iranian American author and journalist Masih Alinejad, a harsh critic of the Iranian government. Also, this week marks five years since a faction of Turkey’s military attempted a coup that left more than 250 dead. The country issued a state of emergency and has prosecuted thousands of people since then. And, we cel...
49m Jul 14, 2021
49m
More than 100 people detained or missing amid Cuban protests 
In Cuba, activists say more than 100 people have been detained or gone missing since protests erupted over the weekend. We'll hear from someone in the capital, Havana. Also, do we need booster shots for COVID-19? Scientists are debating that question. Still, a handful of countries are preparing for boosters. Plus, does a lobster feel pain? The British Parliament wants to know.
49m Jul 13, 2021
49m
Anti-government protests in Cuba
Thousands of Cubans took to the streets on Sunday to protest the government’s mishandling of the pandemic and continued problems with power blackouts and food shortages. And, along with the assassination of Haiti’s president this week, the country faces an uptick in gang violence. Also, dozens of Chinese feminist social media channels have been abruptly deactivated recently, triggering anger an...
49m Jul 12, 2021
49m
Foreign mercenaries behind president’s assassination, Haitian police say  
Police in Haiti say that at least 15 people behind the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse were Colombian mercenaries, including several retired military members. And, after a 15-month standstill, cruises are leaving from American waters again with revamped health and safety protocols. Will it be smooth sailing? Also, most Islamic countries regard homosexuality as morally unacceptable — an...
48m Jul 09, 2021
48m
Biden affirms commitment to Afghan allies 
As American troops exit Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to take control over more and more territory. On Thursday, President Joe Biden sought to reassure Afghan allies about the future of US-Afghanistan relations. And, more than two dozen scientists at the global World Weather Attribution group worked nonstop over the past week to determine whether the Pacific Northwest's record-breaking hea...
48m Jul 08, 2021
48m
Coronavirus Conversations: The mental health impacts of reopening society
After more than a year of measures, such as mask mandates and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, communities around the world are adjusting to reopened workplaces and society. But ongoing concerns about the pandemic, and challenges posed by variants, have many people wary. As part of The World's regular series of conversations with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, ...
48m Jul 08, 2021
48m
Brazil ramps up its vaccination drive
Brazil is finally getting vaccines following President Jair Bolsonaro's botched approach to vaccination purchases and a range of COVID-19 hardships. Now, citizens are honking in celebration at drive-up vaccination sites. Also, Haiti's president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated Tuesday in an overnight attack. And, in May, a triple bombing at a girls' school in Kabul killed nearly 100 people, mos...
48m Jul 07, 2021
48m
England to lift most COVID restrictions
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that almost all COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in England by July 19. But with the Delta variant threat, many scientists say it’s a “recipe for disaster.” And, as Lebanon’s financial crisis deepens, interim Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that the country was days away from a "social explosion.” Also, Nigerian law enforcement reported the...
48m Jul 06, 2021
48m
Russian REvil’s cyberattack impacts hundreds of businesses
This story may sound familiar. A major hack, with more than 1,000 businesses affected. According to cybersecurity experts, the Russia-based hacking group REvil is the source of the attack. Also, in South Africa, political tensions are growing after a court sentenced former president Jacob Zuma to prison for absconding from a corruption inquiry — a ruling that appears to strike at perceived offi...
49m Jul 05, 2021
49m
US troops exit Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan
One of the main symbols of US military presence in Afghanistan was the Bagram Air Base. Now, after 20 years, the last remaining American troops have left. And, the town slogan for Lytton, British Columbia, is “Canada’s hot spot." This week’s heat wave caused temperatures there to soar to 121 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday. Also, "The Last Kings of Shanghai," Jonathan Kaufman’s latest book, takes...
48m Jul 02, 2021
48m
China celebrates 100 years of the Community Party
Chinese President Xi Jingping gave a rousing speech to an overflowing crowd today in Tiananmen Square on the 100th anniversary of the founding of China’s Communist Party. President Xi certainly remains popular in China and so does his party. And, as parts of the US bake under extreme temperatures, we turn to Ahmedabad, a city that has made a huge investment in combating urban heat. Today, Turke...
48m Jul 01, 2021
48m
China’s Communist Party celebrates its 100-year anniversary
July 1 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party in China. Shanghai, where Mao Zedong and 12 other men first laid the foundations for the party, is now the epicenter for celebrations. And earlier this week, the US conducted airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in both Iraq and Syria. Just hours later, US forces also came under rocket attack. Where does Iraq stand in ...
47m Jun 30, 2021
47m
Afghans pick up arms against the Taliban
Taliban fighters have taken over several districts since the US announced its unconditional troop withdrawal. To counter the insurgents, some Afghans are taking up arms. And, Ethiopia declared a unilateral ceasefire in the Tigray region on Monday, putting an end to nearly eight months of fighting that pushed hundreds of thousands into starvation. Also, Guam's surplus of vaccines — and hotel vac...
48m Jun 29, 2021
48m
Temperatures soar as multiple heat waves strike across the globe
Heat waves across the US, Canada, parts of Europe and Siberia brought soaring temps this week. And, after the killing of Black American George Floyd, several African countries urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate police brutality in the US. The rights office conducted a global investigation, and the new report confirms that police brutality toward people of...
48m Jun 28, 2021
48m
Afghan delegation travels to Washington
An Afghan government delegation, including President Ashraf Ghani, is on a two-day visit to Washington, DC. Their message: Don’t leave Afghanistan to the Taliban. And, US Vice President Kamala Harris made her first trip to the US-Mexico border since taking office. Also, Nicaraguan political cartoonist Pedro X. Molina wants to see fair elections. He’s been living in exile in Ithaca, New York, an...
48m Jun 25, 2021
48m
Biden to evacuate thousands of Afghan interpreters who helped US forces
The Biden administration is reportedly preparing to evacuate thousands of Afghan interpreters and other local hires who assisted US forces over the past 20 years and now face threats from the Taliban. Also, the Cowessess First Nation in southern Saskatchewan said Wednesday that it has discovered hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of another former residential school for Indigenous children...
48m Jun 24, 2021
48m
Coronavirus Conversations: Surges, variants and the global vaccine rollout
As new COVID-19 variants emerge, health authorities around the world are racing to inoculate people, while facing often-disjointed rollouts and limited supplies of shots. As part of The World's regular series of conversations on the pandemic with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and as a special episode in our podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with a panel o...
1hr 4m Jun 24, 2021
1hr 4m
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy paper shutters
The Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy newspaper, is publishing its final issue. The move comes a week after authorities froze the outlet’s bank accounts, raided its offices and arrested top editors. And, Hambali, an Indonesian pegged as al-Qaeda’s mastermind in Southeast Asia, was accused of plotting the “second wave” of 9/11 attacks. Now, after languishing at Guantanamo, Hambali w...
48m Jun 23, 2021
48m
UEFA says no to rainbow lights at final Germany vs. Hungary game
UEFA has declined the Munich city council’s request to light up its stadium in rainbow colors for Germany’s final game against Hungary this week. Mayor Dieter Reiter made the request to protest an anti-LGBTQ law recently passed in Hungary. And over 800 members of Indigenous tribes from across Brazil are camped in the capital, Brasilia, to protest what they say are attacks on their rights and la...
47m Jun 22, 2021
47m
Iran's new president says nuclear talks should continue — but won't meet Biden
Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi said at his first press conference that the economy is a top priority and that nuclear negotiations should continue — but that he won’t meet with US President Joe Biden. And, a lot of people are thinking these days, “where’s my stuff?” During the pandemic, global supply chains have been out of whack, sometimes with devastating impacts. Also, one rural Thai ...
50m Jun 21, 2021
50m
Iranian presidential election stokes controversy
It's election day in Iran. And the presidential election is already mired by controversy. Critics say the stage has deliberately been set for one candidate to win — the man closest to Iran's supreme leader. Also, throughout the US, states are pulling out all the stops to encourage people to get vaccinated, including lotteries. In Thailand, get vaccinated, win a cow. Plus, celebrating Juneteenth...
49m Jun 18, 2021
49m
Will the Biden-Putin meeting improve US-Russia relations? 
US-Russia relations over the years have been defined by altercation and disagreement. After Wednesday's summit meeting in Geneva, both Biden and Putin expressed a desire to turn the page. Also, since 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has led to thousands of killings. The International Criminal Court is now calling for an investigation of those deaths as war crimes. And, ...
48m Jun 17, 2021
48m
Biden meets Putin in Geneva
Despite tensions in the lead-up to the Biden-Putin summit, the two leaders were overly cordial in their remarks following their meeting in Geneva on Wednesday. And, dozens of Roma from Romania are reported to be among the thousands of undocumented migrants and asylum-seekers crossing the US-Mexico border in the last month. Also, Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza early Wednesday following Hamas...
47m Jun 16, 2021
47m
US President Joe Biden tackles domestic terrorism 
On Tuesday, the Biden administration released a 32-page plan for confronting domestic terrorism. It identifies white supremacist violent extremism as the greatest terrorist threat facing the United States. And, Turkey has vaccinated only about 17% of its population so far against COVID-19. But a team of health workers in eastern Turkey is working as fast as it can to vaccinate people in the rem...
48m Jun 15, 2021
48m
Biden and Erdoğan reset US-Turkey relations
US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat down on Monday for a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit. In the US, there’s a growing push to require public schools to cover the histories of groups left out of history textbooks. Also, G-7 leaders pledged 1 billion vaccine doses to developing countries and agreed to step up action on climate change, bu...
49m Jun 14, 2021
49m
Can Biden ease diplomatic tensions with Russia?
President Joe Biden meets world leaders at the G-7 summit. With post-Brexit tension between continental Europe and Britain, we look at the role Biden can play to help ease diplomatic tensions. Plus, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has launched a brutal crackdown on his political opponents. It appears to be an attempt to clear the field so he can run virtually unopposed in the November electi...
48m Jun 11, 2021
48m
G-7 leaders urged to boost climate finance to poorer nations
Wealthy nations pledged 10 years ago to provide $100 billion a year for developing nations to mitigate climate change. The United Nations estimates that countries are $20 billion behind that goal and urged G-7 leaders to step up. Also, the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project in Canada has been canceled, but the oil industry is hugely important for the Canadian economy. And, it’s a good w...
49m Jun 10, 2021
49m
Biden heads to Britain on first overseas trip as president
This week, Joe Biden takes his first overseas trip as US president, heading to the United Kingdom to meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. And, China's ultramarathon racing community was rocked a few weeks ago when 21 runners died of hypothermia during a competition in Gansu. Also, the White House has been under pressure to do more to address worldwide vaccine shortages that are especially ac...
47m Jun 09, 2021
47m
Transnational criminal gang bust via FBI app 
Officials in the US, Australia and Europe on Tuesday for the first time revealed details on a massive criminal gang bust operation that involved law enforcement in more than 16 countries. And, Gaza’s medical infrastructure was verging on collapse even before the recent conflict with Israel. Now, conditions are even more dire. Also, in celebration of the United Nations World Oceans Day, Cuban si...
49m Jun 08, 2021
49m
Vice President Kamala Harris in Guatemala on migration mission
Vice President Kamala Harris was in Guatemala on Monday, her first stop in a mission to work on reducing migration to the US by seeking to improve conditions in Central American countries. And, in Burkina Faso, two days ago, Islamist extremists killed more than 130 civilians, according to local officials. This was the worst terrorist atrocity in the history of the country. Also, cities around t...
49m Jun 07, 2021
49m
Peruvians head to the polls to pick their next president
Peruvians will choose a new president this Sunday, amid one of the biggest economic downturns of the pandemic across Latin America. And, the world marks the 40th anniversary of the HIV pandemic. On June 5, 1981, the US reported the first cases of HIV and AIDS that would turn the world upside down, killing at least 32 million people. The Biden administration is fast-tracking some asylum cases al...
49m Jun 04, 2021
49m
Israel on the verge of a political shake-up
A group of parties spanning Israel's political spectrum has announced an agreement to form a new ruling coalition. If it holds, longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu is out. And, Peruvians will head to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president. The election underscores how repeated corruption scandals have politically fractured the country. Also, Sri Lanka faces its worst human-made disas...
48m Jun 03, 2021
48m
Are ransomware attacks the new normal? 
The cyberattack that shut down JBS, the world's largest meat supplier, came within weeks of the Colonial Pipeline hack. Are ransomware attacks the new normal? And, ever since Myanmar’s army seized power in a coup four months ago, the country has descended into terror. Many protesters are fed up with peace marches and are ready to fight back. Also, a herd of wild elephants has gone rogue in Chin...
49m Jun 02, 2021
49m
Osaka withdrawal from French Open sparks mental health debate
Top-ranking athlete Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open after controversy following her refusal to speak to the media after matches. And, a new report by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention paints a grim picture of gun violence, which has gone from the lowest to highest rates in Europe. Also, it’s challenging to keep track of new variants of the coronavirus. After month...
48m Jun 01, 2021
48m