The World

A program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter.

The 2015 Kennedy Center Honors Honorees, including conductor Seiji Ozawa, stand on stage during a reception for them in the East Room of the White House, Dec. 6, 2015.

Renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa is remembered as 'graceful,' 'supernaturally' gifted

Seiji Ozawa, who led the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for nearly three decades, died this week in his home country of Japan. The World speaks to Brian McCreath, who broadcasts the Boston Symphony Orchestra on WCRB in Boston, about Ozawa's life and legacy.

Renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa is remembered as 'graceful,' 'supernaturally' gifted
Frantz Fanon sitting at a table during a press conference

New book explores the life of psychiatrist and writer Frantz Fanon

New book explores the life of psychiatrist and writer Frantz Fanon
People board a truck as they leave Khartoum, Sudan, on June 19, 2023.

'I no longer have a dream': Sudan has the largest displacement of children in the world

'I no longer have a dream': Sudan has the largest displacement of children in the world
Three people wrapped in colorful comforters

48 hours along San Diego's remote Jacumba border region

48 hours along San Diego's remote Jacumba border region
A back shot of a man wearing a bookbag and hat looking into a grass pathway

Out of Eden Walk: The first steps

Out of Eden Walk: The first steps
Relatives of US citizens that are missing since Saturday's surprise attack by Hamas militants near the Gaza border, in Tel Aviv, Israel attend a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

‘We need to tell the story’: Parents of an Israeli hostage in Gaza grapple with uncertainty

Hamas took over 250 hostages from Israel on Oct. 7, including 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin. His parents, Rachel Goldberg and John Polin, have become high-profile advocates for bringing Israeli hostages home from Gaza. We hear from Hersh’s parents in an interview with “Israel Story,” a radio show and podcast in Tel Aviv.

‘We need to tell the story’: Parents of an Israeli hostage in Gaza grapple with uncertainty
Yousef Hammash with his wife and children, Elia and Ahmad.

‘I don't know what's waiting for us in the next minute’: A father tries to protect his family in Gaza

Israel has signaled that it's planning to expand operations in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. About a million Palestinians are crammed into the city near the Egyptian border after repeatedly being told to move south, and now they say they have nowhere left to flee. The World’s host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Yousef Hammash, who works with the aid group the Norwegian Refugee Council, and moved there months ago with this family.

‘I don't know what's waiting for us in the next minute’: A father tries to protect his family in Gaza
Vendors sell images of President Nayib Bukele during El Salvador's election campaign.

Nayib Bukele’s popularity steers him toward an unprecedented second term as president of El Salvador

In El Salvador, the official results of Sunday’s presidential elections are still not in, but that didn’t stop President Nayib Bukele from declaring victory on social media — and he looks slated to win. He was up for reelection, in a country that doesn't allow reelection in its constitution. Bukele is extraordinarily popular. But many say the future is concerning.

Nayib Bukele’s popularity steers him toward an unprecedented second term as president of El Salvador
shepherd with sheep amid rubble

A year on, a Kurdish village near Turkey’s earthquake epicenter says it's been overlooked

The town of Pazarcık and its surrounding villages were devastated during the earthquakes in Turkey last year. Displaced survivors are spending the winter in tents and containers. They say aid is limited and they've been overlooked by the government, due to their cultural identity. 

A year on, a Kurdish village near Turkey’s earthquake epicenter says it's been overlooked
The defense chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, gather for their extraordinary meeting in Accra, Ghana, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, to discuss the situation in Nig

3 coup-hit West African nations exit ECOWAS citing sanctions, no support against terrorism 

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have all experienced military coups in the past few years. They say the regional trade organization is not helping them fight terrorism but rather imposing severe sanctions on them. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman reports from Ghana on the implications of their withdrawals.

3 coup-hit West African nations exit ECOWAS citing sanctions, no support against terrorism 
Illustration by Megan J. Goff

Threat-hunter says Iran is stepping up the sophistication of its cyberattacks

In the months since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Iran has increased its cyber-hacking operations, according to Gil Messing, the chief of staff at Tel Aviv-based Check Point Software. The “Click Here” podcast talks to Messing about the latest.

Threat-hunter says Iran is stepping up the sophistication of its cyberattacks
Group of people at night sitting on motorized wheelchairs

Wheelchair tours show Colombia’s Medellín from a different perspective

In Colombia, one company is introducing visitors to the city of Medellín by taking them around on wheelchairs that are pulled by electric handbikes and can reach speeds of about 25 mph. The tours are led by people with disabilities and are part of a broader effort to make the city more accessible to all, led by a very persistent businessman. Manuel Rueda reports.

Wheelchair tours show Colombia’s Medellín from a different perspective
children and woman with a mic onstage

Latvian conference takes on issue of Russia kidnapping Ukrainian children

​​​​​​​Over the course of nearly two years Russia has committed countless violations, crimes, and atrocities in Ukraine. However, as of now, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for only one crime of “deportation of children from Ukrainian occupied territories into the Russian Federation.” The issue of kidnapping Ukrainian children is ongoing, as thousands of kids are still in Russia, separated from their families and their homes.

Latvian conference takes on issue of Russia kidnapping Ukrainian children
Florida is home to the largest Haitian community in the US with more than 300,000 people of Haitian ancestry.

Miami’s Little Haiti: What is lost when a community is displaced?

The Haitian population of Miami has remained unchanged since the beginning of the century, with about 30,000 people. But little remains of the neighborhood that Maria and Viter Juste founded in the 1970s that came to be known as Little Haiti.

Miami’s Little Haiti: What is lost when a community is displaced?
Large mural of Venezuela that includes the disputed Essequibo region

A border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana could intensify as Maduro aims for reelection

Venezuela has been ramping up nationalist propaganda campaigns as a border dispute intensifies over Essequibo, a remote region that is rich in oil and gold. The push to take it over began in early December with a referendum asking voters if this territory should be turned into a Venezuelan state. Manuel Rueda reports from Caracas on how this issue plays into upcoming presidential elections in Venezuela.

A border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana could intensify as Maduro aims for reelection