The World

The World

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

A Canadian police officer speaks with a migrant family from Afghanistan who walked across the non-official Roxham Road border crossing north of Champlain, New York, on Friday, March 24, 2023. 

US and Canada add restrictions to asylum agreement

The US and Canada have agreed to change a decadesold asylum agreement, putting more restrictions on migrants seeking protections in Canada. And, since the 9th century, monks, aristocrats and emperors have all tracked the date of "full flower" for cherry blossoms, providing an unusually complete record of spring coming earlier in Japan. Also, congressional leaders sparred with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Washington on Thursday, when Chew was on Capitol Hill to discuss TikTok's data security. The US is considering a ban on the the social media platform that is used by over 150 million Americans. Plus, sounds from the Brazilian 11-piece samba big band in Miami. 
US and Canada add restrictions to asylum agreement
Two men shake hands in front of a bouquet of flowers, wearing blue suits.

Biden visits Canada for talks with Trudeau

US President Joe Biden is visiting Canada today to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and address Canada's Parliament in Ottawa. US-Canada border relations are at the top of the agenda. And, mice are plaguing tiny, uninhabited Marion Island located southeast of South Africa in the Indian Ocean. The invasive mouse population is threatening the birds, and conservationists say they need to go. Also, Israel's Knesset has passed a law limiting the ways a sitting prime minister can be declared unfit for office. Critics see it as a shield to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from fallout amid an ongoing corruption trial. Plus, the late-Malian master of the desert blues, Ali Farka Touré, left behind many recordings.
Biden visits Canada for talks with Trudeau
A "love" balloon and flowers are left among white grave stones.

The lingering toll of war

Kayla Williams was deployed to Iraq in 2003 as an Arabic linguist two days after the US-led invasion began. She talks about the long-term physical and psychological impact of the war on veterans. And, the International Monetary Fund and Ukraine have agreed to terms that pave the way for a $15.6 billion relief package, designed to prop up the government's intense military spending and the blows Russian forces have dealt to the economy. Also, New Zealand's government has launched a campaign to help teenagers and young adults heal from romantic breakups. The "Love Better" campaign includes Kiwi teens talking about the added stress social media plays when a relationship ends. Plus, scientists show how language connects with thought process.
The lingering toll of war
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks to American Bankers Association President and CEO Rob Nichols, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Washington. 

The risk of global banking 'contagion'

Contagion is a medical term, but it applies to the banking world, too. Investors are worried that the problems at a handful of American banks could ripple across the world economy and that unexpected surprises may be lurking. And, Ecuador finds a novel way to convert seized cocaine into cement. Also, the outgoing head of the UN’s World Food Program, David Beasley, has long argued that growing global food insecurity should be addressed with structural solutions — not handouts. Beasley talks about how the world can adapt to the new, worrisome challenges hunger poses. Plus, the latest sounds from the innovator of the Hindustani slide guitar, Debashish Bhattacharya.
The risk of global banking 'contagion'
A man holds his cellphone near al-Mutanabbi street in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.

Iraq's 'Generation Freedom'

Monday marks 20 years since the start of “Operation Iraqi Freedom," the US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled the president, Saddam Hussein, and aimed to spread democracy in the country. We hear from those who lived through these turbulent and violent years. And, gay sex is already illegal in Uganda, punishable by life in prison. But a new bill making its way through the legislature would make it illegal to even identify as gay or transgender. Also, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's latest climate report shows that humanity is on "thin ice," with the window closing on the chance to meet ambitious global warming targets. Plus, two Icelandic artists quietly leave their mark on South by Southwest.
Iraq's 'Generation Freedom'