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The World

The World is public radio’s longest-running daily global news program. Our goal is to engage domestic US audiences with international affairs through human-centered journalism that consistently connects the global to the local and builds empathy for people around the world.

The World is a co-production of PRX and GBH that broadcasts from the Nan and Bill Harris Studios at GBH in Boston, Massachusetts. Launched in 1996 in response to a lack of international news in commercial media, The World has remained one of public radio’s most essential programs by providing its listeners with daily access to voices and stories not heard anywhere else. Our loyal broadcast listenership in the US measures 2.5 million each week, and our reach to global audiences — via broadcast, podcast and the web — is possible because of our strong editorial partnerships and digital distribution agreements.

Our key areas of focus are global security, women & gender, the environment, migration and public health. From frontline diplomats to refugees in crisis, from environmental scientists in the field to protesters putting their lives on the line and individuals grappling with the impact of global cyberculture, The World starts with individuals at the core of a story and expands from there.

Latest Episodes
  • US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing today for talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The two leaders are expected to discuss their countries’ tech rivalry, the Iran war and the future of Taiwan. Also, a conversation with award-winning journalist Ann Curry about the conflicts in Sudan over the years. And, a look at New England’s white pine trees, once a strategic resource for Britain's Royal Navy. Plus, a network of around 2,000 volunteers help to rescue migrating baby turtles in South Africa. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
  • The UK has had four prime ministers in just four years, and now, Keir Starmer is fighting to avoid becoming the next political casualty. Also, doctors in Prague find a more accurate name for a condition affecting 1 in 8 women. And, French President Emmanuel Macron co-hosts a summit of some 30 African heads of state in Kenya. Plus, a look into professional rakugo storytelling, a Japanese art form dating back to the 14th century. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
  • Relatives of Mexico’s disappeared took to the streets yesterday for a Mother’s Day march, calling on authorities to do more to deter kidnappings, abductions and murders. Also, Russia’s war with Ukraine is posing a greater threat to coal than years of demands by environmentalists to cut back its use. And, the US-Israeli war with Iran has triggered a plastic shortage in Asia. Plus, we meet a Cypriot pediatric neurologist behind the discovery of an ultra-rare genetic syndrome. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
  • Russia’s annual Victory Day Parade this weekend is expected to lack the usual show of ballistic missiles and tanks. Meanwhile, a leaked security brief claims that President Vladimir Putin has tightened his personal security and faces increased threats of assassination and coup attempts. Also, according to a new report by the NGO Mercy Corps, only 4% of Gaza’s farmlands remain accessible to its residents for farming, with the rest being damaged in war or under Israeli control. And, Sir David Attenborough, who has documented the natural world and the creatures in it for decades, turns 100. Plus, lost in translation — how some film titles are hard to translate into other languages. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
  • Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, the government in Tehran has executed 25 political prisoners — the highest number in such a short span of time over the last three decades. Also, India is cracking down on illegal sand mining. And, the first year of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy has been marked by “extraordinary tension.” Plus, end times beliefs that shape global conflict. 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