The World

In Yemen, the Houthis, a rebel group supported by Iran, have taken more strategic territory along the Red Sea. This now includes islands in the middle of the narrowest part of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key route for over a tenth of global trade. Also, in Germany, police arrested a man last week suspected of planning and carrying out sabotage against the country’s electricity network, apparently to highlight the climate crisis. And, when Beijing and Washington discuss AI safety rules, they often have very different ideas. In the US, the debate focuses on threats to humanity, while China is more concerned about risks to its ruling party. Plus, Senegal is getting ready to host the Youth Olympic Games. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The strategic central Sudanese city of el-Obeid is now the focal point in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The three-year civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has taken hundreds of thousands of lives. And, Canada is facing its Brexit moment – and it's largely around oil. Also, Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader and a frontrunner to win next year’s presidential election, has lost her appeal of an embezzlement conviction. But a court today cleared the way for her to run for office. Plus, how the World Cup has Cape Verdean tunes to the fore.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

June 19, now recognized as the federal holiday Juneteenth, commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned of their freedom. In The World’s Juneteenth special, we examine racial inequalities in higher education in India and South Africa, and consider who benefits from a college education. We also visit Louisiana to explore how the history and legacy of slavery are taught in the United States today. Plus, we speak with Rhiannon Giddens, known as the “banjo auntie,” about her efforts to teach others about the banjo's African origins.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un played host to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week. It's the Chinese premier’s first visit to North Korea in seven years and follows two high-profile meetings in Beijing between Xi and the leaders of the US and Russia. Also, Taliban forces in Afghanistan have fired on protesters as women face increasing arrests and detention for leaving their homes without wearing a full face and body covering. And, a look into the world of the Yahoo Boys, young Nigerian hustlers who con lonely Westerners out of their money through online scams. Plus, sticker album fever is sweeping Latin America ahead of the World Cup.Your support is critical in sustaining our nonprofit newsroom. Donate today and your gift will be matched 2:1!Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Armenia’s pro-Western prime minister secured an election victory today, despite a pressure campaign from Russia. Also, Mexico’s World Cup has become a platform for many protests, including teachers, mothers searching for their disappeared children, anti-gentrification groups and others. And, shipping groups are issuing new safety guidance to their vessels as the Strait of Hormuz remains tightly controlled. Plus, a Japanese band plays a traditional folk song in a bouncy Ghanaian-style highlife melody.Your support is critical in sustaining our nonprofit newsroom. Donate today and your gift will be matched 2:1!Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Voters in Peru head to the polls this weekend for a runoff presidential election, with one key issue stemming from a wave of extortion that has surged in recent years. Also, a look at why Iran has conditioned a ceasefire with the US with an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. And, some criminal groups in Mexico are eyeing profits from the World Cup games. Plus, a German tradition of combining heat from a sauna with aromatherapy sees a new competitive twist.We are aiming to raise $30,000 by June 30. Help us reach our goal! Every donation will be matched. Donate today!Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Today marks 37 years since Chinese troops opened fire on peaceful protestors in Tiananmen Square. But in Hong Kong, even symbolic acts are leading to arrests. Also, a look at the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. And, Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian author famous for her graphic novel “Persepolis,” has died at the age of 56. Plus, Kenya is a powerhouse when it comes to geothermal energy, and it’s now helping its neighbors to pursue the same.We are aiming to raise $30,000 by June 30. Help us reach our goal! Every donation will be matched. Donate today!Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Kenyan protesters are demonstrating against plans to build a quarantine center in Kenya for Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola. Critics say it exposes Kenyans to risk, without offering them the same protections provided to US citizens. Also, a new study has found multiple types of microbes preserved in the body of Otzi, the iceman mummified in a glacier from the Copper Age, which could potentially offer new insights for future medical research. And, the civil war in Sudan is complicating research into an ancient civilization in the country known for millennia as the Kingdom of Kush. Plus, Japan releases eight crested ibises, that went extinct in the country, into the wild.We are aiming to raise $30,000 by June 30. Help us reach our goal! Every donation will be matched. Donate today!Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Despite mass Russian assaults on Ukrainian cities, Moscow’s progress on the battlefield stalls. Also, police in Paris suspend dozens of school assistants in more than 100 schools, preschools and nurseries for abusing youngsters. And, Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado says she is planning to return to Venezuela “very soon” and expresses confidence that the country will emerge from authoritarian rule. Plus, a conversation about using the beloved axolotl as a World Cup mascot in Mexico as the real animal remains critically endangered.We are aiming to raise $30,000 by June 30. Help us reach our goal! Every donation will be matched. Donate today!Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Alex Saab, one of ousted President Nicolás Maduro’s most important fixers, is back in US custody for the second time. His case helps explain how corruption in Venezuela moved from state contracts into daily life. Also, Alberta's premier has announced that a referendum will be held in October, asking voters in the province whether they wish to remain part of Canada, or begin the legal process of pursuing separation. And, Brooklyn Rivera, Nicaragua’s most prominent Indigenous leader has died while in government custody, sparking questions and criticism. Plus, we take a listen to the mournful sounds of Vasilis Kostas' Greek lute.We are aiming to raise $30,000 by June 30. Help us reach our goal! Every donation will be matched. Donate today!Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

AI-generated LEGO videos have become one of the most unexpected propaganda tools in the current Iran war. The clips use humor, memes and video-game-style animation to mock global leaders, while pushing pro-Iran narratives online. Also, residents flee north as Israel strikes Lebanon, including the historic city of Tyre. And, Brazil’s government plans to invest $75 million to pave and improve a highway running through a largely untouched section of the Amazon. Plus, a conversation with Cheikh Ibra Fam, a Senegalese musician who says the choirs he joined while traveling with his family as a child became his classrooms.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Lack of healthcare infrastructure and distrust of authorities are challenging efforts to confront the latest Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo. Also, more trials begin for former Syrian officials involved in torturing their own citizens. And, rising geopolitical tensions complicate an already fragile dynamic in Cyprus. Plus, NASA announces plans to create a permanent presence on the moon.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

After a months-long blackout, Iran has begun restoring internet access in the country. Iranians are appearing back online, posting about how the cut-off has impacted their lives. Also, it’s being described as Ireland’s “George Floyd moment” after 35-year-old Yves Sakila, originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, died in Dublin earlier this month after being restrained by several security guards. And, protests have gripped Bolivia's capital for weeks, triggered by what voters are seeing as the president's bait and switch. Plus, a look at legendary Cuban American trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, who has a new album out and was knighted last week by the king of Spain.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical Monday, outlining his priorities in leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. While the focus of "Magnificent Humanity" was heavily on his concerns about AI, the pontiff also apologized for one of the Church's historic wrongs: supporting the slave trade. Also, Colombia has faced a dramatic increase in violence in the weeks leading up to its presidential election this weekend. And, with the Strait of Hormuz having now been closed for 88 days, the impact of the closure, along with the US-Israel war with Iran that triggered it, is intensifying rifts among Gulf countries. Plus, The World takes a spin through Dubai’s vinyl-collecting scene.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This Memorial Day special highlights peacemakers and people helping others around the world, including those who bridge divides, feed strangers and hold space for grief. We look at volunteers in France helping college students with groceries. Also, the “Designing Peace” exhibit at a museum in New York. And, a group of monks from a Vietnamese Buddhist temple walking for peace. Plus, a look at global cooperation on the International Space Station despite geopolitical tensions on Earth.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Meteorologists expect not only that an El Niño warming pattern will emerge this year, but also that it will be one of the strongest on record. And, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain's prime minister from 2004 to 2011, has been charged with influence peddling in the controversial rescue of an airline partly owned by government officials in Venezuela. Also, during a legislative session in Jamaica last week, a lawmaker used Jamaican Patois — also known as Jamaican — and caused quite a stir. Plus, go into the weekend with the electronic sounds of Cumbia.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Ebola outbreak centered in the eastern regions of Democratic Republic of Congo is expanding at an alarming rate. Also, the US-Israeli war with Iran almost derailed the 20-year-old Art Dubai festival until organizers scrambled to keep the show going. And, the skyrocketing costs of attending this summer’s World Cup is a sign for many that FIFA has lost touch with its global fanbase. Plus, Canada wins the Walter Cup, the Professional Women's Hockey League's top prize, for the first time.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As the Trump administration expands sanctions on Cuba to pressure regime change, one of its targets is GAESA, the military-run business empire behind hotels, dollar stores, banks and other key sources of hard currency in the country. Also, rights groups are concerned over  European Commission plans to hold talks with the Taliban in Brussels about deporting some Afghans back home. And, New Zealand wants to change its landmark climate law by prohibiting liability for damages caused by climate change, such as from floods, fires or sea level rise. Plus, looking back at the life of Colombian singer Totó la Momposina, who was also a global champion of Andean culture.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

US President Donald Trump says he has halted a “very major attack” on Iran for now because he wants to allow more time for diplomacy. Also, a tent city has sprung up along Beirut's renowned waterfront promenade where people displaced from their homes in southern Lebanon by Israeli airstrikes are living out the war. And, a general strike by transport workers over the rising cost of fuel brings Kenya to a standstill. Plus, researchers find what is believed to be the first poem written in the English language.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Norway stands to make $78 billion this year from its oil and gas sales as the costs of the commodities continue to rise globally. Also, Philippines Senator Ronald dela Rosa is in hiding as government agents try to serve him with an ICC arrest warrant on charges of crimes against humanity for his role in the country’s bloody drug war. And, a look at why zoonotic diseases, spilling over from animals to humans, are on the rise. Plus, Cairo's historic downtown is experiencing a renaissance as Gen Z creators re-discover the city.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Cape Verde will hold elections on Sunday with two candidates for prime minister who offer the classic choice between change or continuity. Also, the Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 70th anniversary, but the event is overshadowed by controversy as five nations boycott over Israel’s participation and alleged voter manipulation at last year’s contest. And, Cuba's oil reserves have run dry, causing blackouts lasting more than 20 hours and widespread protests — the result of an ongoing US blockade of the island. Plus, one woman starts a relationship — with herself.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The UN is warning that there's an "unprecedented" crisis in the Persian Gulf with 20,000 sailors trapped there since the beginning of the Iran war in March. Also, eight people are now suspected to have been infected by hantavirus, a rare but severe disease onboard a cruise ship currently moored off the West African island nation of Cape Verde. And, US military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Pacific Ocean are intensifying, but the public is short on details about the operation. Plus, Scottish fans have come up with a creative way to bypass public transportation gridlock and save some cash during the World Cup by hiring a fleet of school buses.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Relations between the US and Europe are once again under strain, with President Donald Trump threatening to pull thousands of American troops from the continent. Also, the Hindu nationalist party of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating big electoral wins, including in West Bengal, the country’s most populous state and a bastion of the opposition. And, Norway, which is the world's largest producer of farmed salmon, is contending with fish farms that also come with nutrient pollution. Plus, a conversation with Hiromi Uerhara whose work has been described as "smile music."Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The US Navy says it is now providing “guidance” to commercial shipping vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. But because of the strait’s geographical constraints, protecting vessels from threats will be far from easy. Also, this year’s Beijing Auto Show was all about SUVs, but these cars are not like other gas guzzlers. And, the Nigerian government is planning to repatriate its citizens amid surging anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa. Plus, Cameroonian singer Irma adds her own twist in a performance accompanied by DRC’s Kinshasa Orchestra.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Today is May Day, when workers mark the anniversary of the birth of the labor movement in the United States. It’s an international movement that sees marches and protests demanding better pay and stronger protections for workers. Also, US prosecutors have indicted the sitting governor of Sinaloa state in Mexico and nine others, alleging ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. And, Colombia's government has announced a controversial plan to kill dozens of hippos that have been roaming freely in one of the country’s most fertile areas, but that have also become a beloved tourist attraction. Plus, in the German village of Lehde, spring is marked when the local post office starts delivering mail on a barge.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Hungary’s incoming prime minister is moving quickly to make his mark. Péter Magyar, who takes office next month, met top European officials in Brussels this week to set out his plans to restore the rule of law in Hungary. Also, after a long political impasse, wealthy oligarch and political outsider Ali al-Zaidi is tapped to become Iraq's new prime minister. And, a look at who the new supreme leader of Iran really is. Plus, on International Jazz Day, The World speaks with Puerto Rican folk musician Fabiola Mendez about her music and the traditional stringed instrument she plays, the cuatro.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The war in Iran has caused a massive crunch in the global supply chain, but nothing has been hit harder than jet fuel, with its prices more than doubling. Also, the United Arab Emirates says it will leave OPEC, a consortium of oil producing countries, on May 1. And, Spain is searching people to fill its vacant shepherding jobs. Plus, a look at the future of Chinese EVs in Mexico.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Mali's military junta is fighting off coordinated attacks across the country, led by Tuareg separatists and al-Qaeda-linked fighters, in violence that’s left the country’s defense minister dead. Also, a look at the latest in the world of robotics. And, across Europe, new recycling plants are promising to recycle hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste using a technology called chemical — or "advanced" — recycling. Plus, the annual marmalade festival kicks off in the UK.Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices