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
European Union pandemic recovery fund facing crisis
European Union countries whose economies have been battered by the coronavirus pandemic are impatiently waiting to get their hands on the recovery fund, sanctioned by the EU. But earlier this week, Hungary and Poland effectively vetoed that budget worth a total of $2.1 trillion. And, following two extremist attacks the past month in France, President Emmanuel Macron has begun pushing a new prop...
49m Nov 19, 2020
49m
Trump fires cybersecurity official who worked to secure the US election
US President Donald Trump has fired Chris Krebs, the head of the Cybersecurity and the Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the federal agency tasked with securing elections. Krebs and CISA had been commended for fending off threats by foreign and other actors during the 2020 election cycle. And, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller has announced a major troop withdrawal in Afghanistan and I...
51m Nov 18, 2020
51m
Peru choose its third president in a week amid political crisis
Peru appears to be emerging from a political crisis. The new President Francisco Sagasti — who is the third president in a week — is someone who many hope will restore some stability to the country. And, Hurricane Iota made landfall in Nicaragua on Tuesday and is expected to bring up to 30 inches of rain onto already saturated areas, creating life-threatening flash flooding. Also, a new monumen...
49m Nov 17, 2020
49m
Another coronavirus vaccine trial shows promise
In the last week or so, there has been some good vaccine news. Pfizer and now Moderna have announced that their coronavirus vaccines were 90% and 94.5% effective based on preliminary results from their trials. And, as the US finds itself at a crossroads between one president and another, the United Nations happens to be conducting its regular review of where the US stands on human rights, as it...
50m Nov 16, 2020
50m
Conflict in Ethiopia raises concerns of possible civil war
The escalating conflict in Ethiopia northern Tigray region is raising concerns the country may be nearing civil war. And, China’s vision for the next century is with itself as the top power in Asia. India is not on board with that — and it’s looking for ways to counter China’s ambitions with its own vision of a more multipolar Asia and world. Also, we remember former Ghana's former President Je...
50m Nov 13, 2020
50m
A global lens on America’s elections as Trump refuses to concede
For many decades, the US has presented itself to the rest of the world as the gold standard when it comes to free and fair voting. So how does that square with President Donald Trump now refusing to concede after losing? And, China has four COVID-19 vaccines in phase 3 trials. But with so few coronavirus cases in the country, it’s forced to hold trials in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Br...
50m Nov 12, 2020
50m
S4 Ep1: (Special) Things That Go Boom: Fee-fi-fo-fear
For many, 2020 has been a scary year. In an effort to get to the root of why many people feel this way, the first thing we did was something we probably should have done a long time ago — we reached out to a psychiatrist. In a new season of "Things That Go Boom," The World's partner podcast from PRX, host Laicie Heeley also asked listeners, friends and family to answer what might seem like a pr...
25m Nov 12, 2020
25m
Migrant father faces criminal charges in Greece after son drowns at sea
In an unprecedented move by the Greek government, an Afghan father was arrested and faces charges of child endangerment after a dinghy carrying 25 migrants capsized in the Aegean Sea, resulting in the drowning of his son. And, international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the US election ran smoothly and criticized US President Donald Trump for promot...
50m Nov 11, 2020
50m
The challenges to immigration reform after the Trump administration
During his campaign, candidate Joe Biden said that on day one, he would submit an immigration reform bill to Congress. What challenges will Biden face in reforming US immigration policy? And, there is a growing debate taking place about a possible boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to allegations of human rights abuses. Also, wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen and his organizati...
49m Nov 10, 2020
49m
Trump fires Defense Secretary Mark Esper
US President Donald Trump fired the head of the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, on Monday, after Trump questioned his loyalty to the administration. And, the last four years of the Trump presidency have tested America's traditional alliances in Europe and forged other unconventional ones. Now, with President-elect Joe Biden poised to take office in January, European leaders are looking ...
49m Nov 09, 2020
49m
What’s at stake in a likely US transition of power
Although the results of the US presidential election are not official yet, all indicators point to a victory for Democratic candidate Joe Biden. But the transfer of presidential power looks like it will be difficult. And, with coronavirus infections surging at record levels in the US and Europe, many nations are imposing new restrictions. Reporter Elana Gordon looks at the pros and cons of the ...
50m Nov 06, 2020
50m
Immigrants, first- and second-generation Americans continue trend running for office
The election this week saw a continuation of a national trend that began in the 2018 midterms — an unprecedented wave of first- and second-generation Americans running for office. And, for decades, the United States has taken the lead on efforts to contain outbreaks around the globe, from polio to influenza. Now, amid the pandemic, the US election illuminates, even more, a nation divided on sci...
51m Nov 05, 2020
51m
With foreign interference a recent memory, how secure are 2020 US elections?
Foreign interference was a key concern going into Election Day. So, what happened on the cybersecurity and disinformation front, and what can we expect next? And, Britain is keeping a close eye on the results of the US election, as their own country faces a new lockdown after midnight Wednesday evening. Also, in this limbo period, when we wait to hear who won and which way the US goes next in t...
50m Nov 04, 2020
50m
(Special) NOVA Now — The Statistical Science Behind Poling
With so much uncertainty hanging over the US presidential election, one place we look for clarity is in the numbers. Pollsters learned valuable lessons from the 2016 election results that they’ve applied in the current election cycle to try to yield more accurate predictions. From our GBH and PRX partners, NOVA Now, and as a special in The World's podcast feed, host Alok Patel interviews a poll...
24m Nov 04, 2020
24m
Americans head to the polls and the world is watching
Arizona used to be firmly Republican, but now it's a battleground state as its politics and demographics have changed. And, voters heading to the polls may be feeling anxious, with all the talk of possible violence. But with the rise of hate crimes during the Trump administration, there are many Americans who have been feeling that way for the last four years. Also, the US will officially be ou...
50m Nov 03, 2020
50m
What's the future of US-Israel relations?
For decades Israel has enjoyed a unique relationship with the US in defense and security cooperation. Under the Trump administration, many Israelis feel that relationship has been fruitful. Would the relationship look any different under a potential Biden administration? And, on US Election Day, our social media news feeds will likely be filled with stories about how foreign actors have worked ...
50m Nov 02, 2020
50m
Special edition: What's at stake for US foreign policy in the 2020 election?
This year, perhaps more than any other, the world is watching the US presidential election. Whatever the outcome, there will be global implications. On the eve of Election Day, we brought together our correspondents to explore key foreign policy issues in their regions of expertise. In this special edition for The World's podcast feed, senior editor Daisy Contreras moderated a live discussion w...
32m Nov 02, 2020
32m
2020 US Election: The political power of Latino youth
Today The World brings you a special episode on the political power of Latino youth, one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States. Approximately every 30 seconds, a Latino in the US turns 18 and becomes eligible to vote. The World has been talking to Latino voters all year. In this episode, hear how Trump has alienated many Latinos with his anti-immigrant rhetoric — but a ...
48m Oct 30, 2020
48m
Deadly knife attacks at a church in France 
A series of knife attacks on French citizens at the Notre Dame Basilica in the Mediterranean city of Nice on Thursday prompted the government to raise its security alert status to the maximum level. And, much of the chocolate that trick-or-treaters eat this weekend will have come from cocoa farms in West Africa that use child labor. Also, Japan's prime minister this week announced a goal of mak...
50m Oct 29, 2020
50m
Special edition: Voters of color in the 2020 US election
The World's reporters have been covering immigrant communities and communities of color this election season, and they compared notes during a recent live discussion on Facebook. Reporters Daisy Contreras, Rupa Shenoy and Halima Gikandi hosted the conversation on voters of color and the 2020 election — covering politics, diversity and the issues that mobilize them. We wanted to share that discu...
31m Oct 29, 2020
31m
Coronavirus surge in Canada has many pointing fingers at recent holiday family gatherings
Canada is seeing rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, which some public health experts believe can be traced back to family celebrations of Canadian Thanksgiving on Oct. 12. And, despite mounting public pressure, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to offer free school meals for children in England during the Christmas holiday break. Also, Polish writer and illustrator Martyna Wiśniew...
50m Oct 28, 2020
50m
Protesters take to the streets of Poland over abortion court ruling
For five days straight, thousands have taken to the streets of cities across Poland to protest a court ruling on abortion. The country’s Constitutional Tribunal last week outlawed abortion in all but the most exceptional of circumstances. And, Germany has been pretty successful containing the coronavirus and also getting students back into classrooms. But in southern Germany, two counties are g...
49m Oct 27, 2020
49m
Sudan and Israel to start normalizing relations
Sudan is set to start normalizing relations with Israel. The move comes as the US removes Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. And, China's Belt and Road Initiative is transforming countries across the globe with new infrastructure, mining and factories. But physical investments are only part of the story: China is making a digital power play, too. Also, despite the ongoing unres...
51m Oct 26, 2020
51m
How the rest of the world views the US presidential election
The last presidential debate on Thursday focused extensively on foreign policy topics. The World's foreign correspondents share global reactions and what they're seeing abroad in the leadup to the Nov. 3 US election. And, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on Friday. It's the latest attempt to find a solution to nearly a month of fighting in Na...
48m Oct 23, 2020
48m
Coronavirus Conversations: What's driving the latest COVID-19 surges?
Many health officials around the world are working to contain second waves of the coronavirus. Join us as we examine what's driving the latest wave of surges around the world, as part of our regular series discussing the pandemic presented jointly with The Forum at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — and as a special podcast in The World's feed. Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with ...
32m Oct 23, 2020
32m
US government says Iran behind voter-intimidation emails ahead of US election
The US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray announced Wednesday that Iran is behind a campaign of sending threatening, faked emails to voters in the US ahead of the 2020 presidential election. And, in the wake of the pandemic, the International Monetary Fund has doled out billions of dollars to keep countries afloat, with few restrictions. But now t...
50m Oct 22, 2020
50m
Gruesome murder in France prompts growing criticism of social media
The gruesome murder of a history teacher in France has sparked intense criticism of social media companies over the role they played in motivating the killer and inciting the murder. And, according to a new study by the University of Cambridge, millennials around the world are currently less satisfied with democracy and more disillusioned than at any other time in the past century. Also, one of...
50m Oct 21, 2020
50m
Coronavirus human challenge trials to begin in UK
The UK government announced today that it is funding the first stage of a human challenge trial for a coronavirus vaccine. And, an international mystery that seems to be ripped from a Cold War spy novel: US diplomats coming down with mysterious brain ailments while posted overseas. But in 2018, this was a reality for dozens of diplomats and spies posted at the US embassy in Cuba. Also, as the c...
48m Oct 20, 2020
48m
French police conduct raids of suspected extremists after teacher's murder
French police on Monday conducted raids of Islamic associations and individuals suspected of extremist religious beliefs after the beheading of a history teacher near Paris. The teacher was fatally attacked in the street after having shown his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a discussion on free speech. And, violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan is now heading into its third week...
48m Oct 19, 2020
48m
Health experts push back on natural herd immunity ‘fringe theory’
There's a fringe proposal to counter the pandemic gaining some traction: Just let the virus spread and let a population build up "natural herd immunity." But this week, leading public health experts from around the globe pushed back, warning that the idea is extremely dangerous. And, former defense minister of Mexico, retired Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, has been arrested in Los Angeles in connect...
49m Oct 16, 2020
49m
France announces return to coronavirus lockdowns
France will impose a nightly curfew starting on Saturday on almost 20 million of the country's 67 million people, in an attempt to curb a resurgence of the coronavirus. And, Norway's foreign minister said that Russia hacked into their country's parliamentary email system in August. Also, as Nov. 3 approaches, calls by President Donald Trump to declare a winner on election night have raised fear...
48m Oct 15, 2020
48m