The World: Latest Stories

From it’s impact on students' education to its growing use on the battlefield in choosing targets, artificial Intelligence has multifaceted impacts on human life. But a former employee at the AI company Anthropic has taken to social media to warn that the technology could “kill us all” by 2030. The World’s Host Marco Werman spoke to two experts on AI to get their perspectives. Rumman Chowdhury is an AI ethicist and founder of Humane Intelligence. Daniel Kokotajlo is executive director of the AI Futures Project. He previously worked at OpenAI as a governance researcher specializing in scenario planning.

They go by a few different names, but Japan's listening lounges are going through something of a revival. They are music bars where simply sitting and listening to records is the main attraction. In fact, some of these establishments have strict rules against conversation and other distractions like cell phone photos. It's all to maximize the listening experience, which often relies on extraordinarily expensive vintage stereo equipment that almost nobody can afford at home. The World's Matthew Bell reported this story from Tokyo last year.This story originally aired on Feb. 25, 2025.

Susan Retik joined forces with another woman whose husband was killed on 9/11 to create Beyond the 11th. It's a charity that helps widows in Afghanistan who have been afflicted by war, terrorism and oppression. Host Marco Werman speaks with Susan Retick about her feelings on the attack, about the program she created and the annual bike ride that kicked off today to raise money for her organization.

The World's Carolyn Beeler investigates what could have been done better to prevent what is likely to amount to several thousands of deaths in Nepal, following the deadly avalanche and flooding that hit in late August. As she reports, Nepalese officials believe their future safety requires an international commitment.

The Colombian Paca Digestora Silva — the Silva digester bale — is a processing method for organic waste that has spawned a social movement. The unique composting method was developed in the 1980s by Colombian forester Guillermo Silva, but only took off in the late 2010s and surged during the pandemic. Tasha Sandoval has the story from Bogota about this attempt to keep organic waste out of the local landfill.

Guest Maria Mitri with the Friends Committee on National Legislation argues that today’s militarized immigration enforcement grew out of the post-9/11 “War on Terror." National security tactics that were developed abroad, she tells Host Carolyn Beeler, have increasingly been brought home.

The political combination that could move Spain to the far-right would bring together the Populist, anti-immigrant Vox party in a coalition with Spain's center-right Popular Party. The two groups don't always see eye to eye, but they do smell the same thing: power. A poll this week suggests it's within reach, albeit barely, with just over 50% of voters saying they'd back the bloc. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

This Friday marks the debut of a new album from Morocco. It’s a collaboration between opposite ends of the musical spectrum. On one end, Bnat Louz, or “the Almond Girls,” perform traditional ahwach music from Morocco’s rural south, while Casablanca band Raskas combines digital beats and electric guitar. The album is part of a larger effort to carry Morocco’s vast musical heritage into the future, using an unlikely vehicle: electronic music. From Casablanca, Lauren Schenkman reports.

A delegation from Jamaica is asking King Charles to seek guidance on whether Britain is obligated to pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Not every virus or disease responds to medicine. And the number of drug-resistant bugs is growing. It's largely the result of overusing antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, when pharmaceuticals end up in our water and soil. The World Health Organization has called antibiotic resistance one of the most complex and frightening health challenges of our time. Without urgent action, drug resistant infections could kill 10 million people per year by 2050. For Deutsche Welle, DW's, "Living Planet" podcast, Neil King looked at what can be done.

The US recently sent its last forward-deployed aircraft carrier in the Pacific, the USS George Washington, to the Middle East. With so many eyes right now focusing on events in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz, some security analysts are concerned that the US is taking its eye off the ball when it comes to China. The World's Aaron Schachter learned more from Mira Rapp-Hooper, a visiting fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington.

A new collection of music from the remote African islands of Sao Tome and Principe is a revelation. This nation in the Atlantic Ocean doesn't get a lot of attention, but as we hear in songs by bands from the 1960s and '70s, like Sangazuza, it's worth listening up.This story originally aired on Jan. 15, 2026.

In the South Pacific archipelago of Fiji, HIV cases have spiked in the past five years. It is estimated that 1 in 60 adults currently lives with the virus. A drug epidemic and stigma have made the transmission difficult to keep under control. Host Marco Werman talks to Sharon McLennan, a scientist with Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, about this issue.

Two paintings by the French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir were stolen from a museum in southern France Tuesday morning. It's the latest in a growing trend of "smash and grab"-style museum heists across Europe, says Arthur Brand, an independent art detective who has helped authorities recover artwork after similar thefts. He spoke to Host Marco Werman from Amsterdam.

Israel does not allow absentee voting, forcing the 500,000 Israeli ex-pats eligible to vote to choose between an expensive trip home or sitting out the country’s most consequential election in years. To help Israelis return, the AID Coalition, a US-based nonprofit organization, launched an initiative called Fly&Vote. From Tel Aviv, Stephanie Freid reports.

Flooding is common in Nepal. But the avalanche that triggered water and debris to surge down the Trishuli River was of an entirely different magnitude. The World's Carolyn Beeler explains what caused the disaster, and what role scientists say climate change may have played.

The United Nations voted on Friday in favor of adopting a resolution to replace the Mercator projection, which distorts the size of the world's landmasses, with one that represents the continents more accurately. The resolution passed almost unanimously, with only a single country voting no: the United States. Marco Werman has more details.

Around 1.5 million Chinese tourists visited France last year. Beyond Versailles or the Eiffel Tower, there's another destination that’s high on many Chinese visitors' lists: Montargis, a working-class town about a 90-minute drive from Paris. That's because a Chinese work-study program in the early 20th century left a lasting mark on China’s history. From Deutsche Welle, DW, Lisa Bryant reports from Montargis.

Berlin-based Syrian singer Siba Alkhiami, or simply "Siba," wrote "Dounana" — or "Without Us" — two years ago out of anger of the destruction of Gaza and the bombing of Palestinians. A year ago, she released it as a song and it's slowly gone viral. We listen to "Dounana" and hear from Siba that it's relevance has gone beyond Gaza. It's a song about colonialism and how it impacts Indigenous people.

Some 800 students and ‌teachers in Central Java got food poisoning last week, just after lunch time at a local high school. Officials were forced to end the day early as bathrooms were overwhelmed with people in the throes of intestinal distress. As Host Marco Werman explains, this was yet another embarrassing moment for Indonesia's government and its ill-fated free lunch program.

The hopes and dreams of thousands of Japanese who were incarcerated in camps during World War II were crushed. Many were never able to reconcile what their lives could have been and what they did become. Paul Watanabe, a professor at University of Massachusetts, Boston found out what his mother lost when she was on her deathbed. He shared it with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

We look at how the colonies' fight for independence is taught elsewhere — namely, in the countries whose authority was defeated: England, France and Spain. Reporter Gerry Hadden has our story.This story originally aired on June 10, 2026.

As the United States honors its workers this Labor Day, it's been 250 years since the nation was founded. A defining ideal in the Declaration of Independence is “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” but when it was written, they were meant to not only be American pursuits. The Declaration explicitly addresses the larger world. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with historian Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, author of the 2024 book “The Age of Revolutions: And the Generations Who Made It."This story originally aired on June 4, 2026.

As the United States commemorates its 250th birthday this year, we celebrate by listening to two songs that arrived from overseas and became a part of the country's early history. Host Marco Werman explains.

The British Empire wasn't the only colonial power in what is now the United States. Several competing colonization projects led by the Spanish, Dutch, French and others laid the foundations of American history. Their distinct patterns of settlement help explain many of the political divides that continue to shape the US today, says historian Colin Woodard. He tells The World’s Host Marco Werman that, over the centuries, these rival visions also influenced how American democracy evolved.This story originally aired on July 1, 2026.

Two-hundred and fifty years ago, the American Revolution sent shockwaves around the globe. At the same time, events taking place outside the US impacted how democracy grew in America. The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with historian Heather Cox Richardson about how the contradictions inherent in the American experiment have played out on the global stage.This story originally aired on June 15, 2026.

The story of the American revolution, as its typically told, is the story of two parties in conflict: the British crown and the rebelling colonies. But this story ignores the role North America's sovereign tribal nations played in the revolution, and the impact it had on Indigenous people around the world. For our series on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Yale University historian Ned Blackhawk, about this complicated history.This story originally aired on June 26, 2026.

Spanish Women's Football League has announced it will subsidize the procedure of freezing their eggs for players on the national team. Some big stars have been lobbying for this option, as many professionals don't want to interrupt their careers to become mothers. But others say the league simply doesn't want its players getting pregnant while actively playing. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

It's one of Germany's smaller states, and it's not usually the center of national attention. But this weekend, all eyes are on the eastern German region of Saxony-Anhalt. A strong result for the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, could have implications not just for the state itself, but for Germany's political future. From Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe’s Thomas Sparrow has more.

Next Friday will mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001, attacks. A special edition of the show that day will look back at the global impact of the event and what followed. Andrew Sullivan is executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit advocating for Afghan allies of the US. Before that, Sullivan deployed to Iraq and later commanded a company in Afghanistan. In conversation with Host Marco Werman, he recalled the significance of the event on his decision to join the military.

In Nepal today, some welcome but unexpected news. Two survivors were rescued — alive — from the tunnel of a hydropower plant, some nine days after getting trapped by last week’s devastating floods. As the days have worn on, hopes were fading that any of roughly 500 hydropower workers believed to be in tunnels would be recovered alive. Carolyn Beeler continues her reporting from Kathmandu, Nepal, and joined Marco Werman to share updates.

It's the last days of summer and many of us might be looking for a final road trip or holiday. Indian journalist Akshobh Giridhadas loves to travel, and on a trip to the Indian Himalayas many years ago, he encountered some unexpected hospitality. He shared his adventure with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

Germany's far-right AfD party has been using a particular moped brand for its campaign: the Simson Schwalbe, often described as the "Vespa of East Germany". The Jewish heir to the founding family is fighting to protect the company's legacy. Deutsche Welle, DW's, Matthew Moore reports on how the moped has been turned into a political vehicle.

Giorgia Meloni has reached a milestone few Italian prime ministers have come close to: Today, she becomes Italy’s longest continuously serving prime minister since the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was in power. Her four-year run in office is particularly notable in a country famous for political instability and frequent changes of government. Meloni is marking the occasion with a rally in Bari. But some political analysts warn that her position may not be as secure as it appears. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

After trade talks between Canada and the US fell apart, Canadians see Trump administration antics as a threat to their sovereignty. And they've been fighting back — boycotting US alcohol, avoiding US produce, canceling US vacations and posting nasty memes. But the Canadian government is in a tricky position, trying to play to a rise in domestic anti-American sentiment while maintaining relationships with Canada's biggest ally. Katie Toth reports from Nova Scotia.

As G7 leaders wrapped up talks in France, one key focus for European allies was keeping the US engaged on the war in Ukraine. While leaders praised Ukraine’s recent battlefield progress, US President Donald Trump sent mixed signals during the summit. He called his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “very good” but also said the US had “nothing to do” with a war taking place “thousands of miles away.” To help us understand where US-Ukraine relations stand after the summit, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Mariia Zolkina, the head of regional security & conflict studies at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation. She joined the show from Warsaw, Poland.

Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding was a student in college when she first heard the voice of Milton Nascimento. Now, many years later, Spalding has gotten the chance to produce an album — and sing on it — with her hero.  Their latest album is "Milton + Esperanza."This story originally aired on March 7, 2025.

Globally, religious believers face censorship, harassment and imprisonment under the banner of combating extremism or maintaining public order. Many legal tools and political systems are used to control religious life. How do these religious leaders remain resilient in the face of oppression and is the problem on the rise? The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports from the Oslo Freedom Forum.

Anti-immigration groups in South Africa are stepping up vigilante-style actions aimed at pressuring migrants to leave the country. Some activists have issued a June 30 ultimatum for undocumented migrants to depart, a deadline that has no legal standing. Sharon Ekambaram, the head of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Program at Lawyers for Human Rights in Pretoria describes the implications to The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is predicting that following an agreement to end the US-Israeli war in Iran, oil supply will rise throughout the year. But demand is expected to recover much more slowly, leading to an expected oil glut in 2027. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Gregory Brew, senior analyst on Iran and energy at the Eurasia Group, about what this means for the global energy market.

Colombia opens its World Cup campaign today against Uzbekistan in Mexico City. Fans are pulling out the team’s yellow jersey — a symbol of national pride. But this year, that same shirt has become part of a bitter presidential runoff. The World’s Tibisay Zea reports on how Colombia’s national soccer jersey got caught up in politics.

Leaders from the US and Iran will meet in Geneva on Friday to sign an agreement to the war between their two countries. Meanwhile, a major hang-up to the deal is Israel's campaign in Lebanon and the slim likelihood of Tehran agreeing to end its nuclear program. Host Carolyn Beeler looks at what's in the document, and what the problems might be, with Alan Eyre, a former US diplomat who was involved in the negotiations for the JCPOA, the nuclear deal adopted with Iran during the Obama administration.

The US Southern Command airstrike on a compound in Venezuela last week killed Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero.” Guerrero was hiding for many years in a vast strip of land in southern Venezuela, rich with gold and cobalt. Phil Gunson, Caracas-based analyst for the International Crisis Group, tells The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler that eliminating Guerrero may be one “first, small step” to opening up the mining region to US interests.

Earlier this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged countries caught between the world's superpowers to work together and forge a "third path." Now, as leaders gather for the G7 summit in France, questions remain about whether Carney can translate that vision into real influence. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, about whether this so-called "middle power moment" has momentum.

Greenland's melting glaciers are contributing to rising sea levels. And, they're also reshaping deep-sea ecosystems on the ocean floor, according to a new study in the journal Nature. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Most of the way through the opening round of the World Cup, a slew of ties is injecting hope into teams not expected to get terribly far in the tournament. From Iran to Qatar to Japan to Cape Verde, underdogs aren't winning — but they aren't losing either. And some historically dominant teams are feeling stunned. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Most songs that reach the top of the charts have a few traits in common: They are a few minutes long, they're played on familiar instruments, and you can dance to them. But what if a composer doesn't care about popularity or dancing? That's when they get into mischief. That's the theme of a new book, "The Madman's Orchestra: The Greatest Curiosities from the History of Music." Author Edward Brooke-Hitching joins Host Marco Werman to take us on a tour through some of history's musical oddities.

This year, Haiti’s national team will be in the World Cup for only the second time ever, having last participated in 1974. However, the country’s World Cup history is more interesting than that. In 1950, as the US vied for the World Cup, it was led by Haitian Joe Gaetjens. Gaetjens scored the only goal of the game, leading the US to a miraculous 1-0 over the powerhouse team from England. Reporter Amy Bracken has the story.

During the initial phase of the war between Iran and the US, some Iranians hoped that the attacks would lead to regime change in Iran. After decades of protesting the government of the Islamic Republic without success, they thought that a foreign military intervention could pave the way to freedom. Now, with a potential deal between the two sides in the works, Iranians reflect on what the war achieved. The World’s Shirin Jaafari reports.

Many people assume Iran's nuclear program began after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. But in his new book, "Iran and the Bomb," author Sina Azodi traces the country’s nuclear program to the early days of the Cold War. Azodi joins The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler to discuss the long complex history of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and argues that knowledge of how to build a nuclear weapon “can’t be bombed away.”