The World

Episodes

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  Malaysia returns Rohingya refugees to Myanmar despite UN warnings 06.10.2026 50m

  Malaysia recently returned 1,500 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar, despite concerns for their safety, as the persecuted Muslim minority remains “stateless” in its own country. Also, some protests in France calling for better public school funding are turning violent with police reacting in kind. And, a Belgian-born scientist has won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics. Plus, the anti-graffiti artist in Rome who has gone viral for cleaning up the ancient city.
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  Brazil's incoming leader may change tone of relations with US 05.10.2026 50m

  Following this weekend’s election, Brazil will hold a runoff later this month between incumbent President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Also, a young woman who worked at a plague research institute in Siberia has died, fueling concerns of a lab leak. And, the Morocco Paradox looks at people who feel lonely without ever actually being alone. Plus, Mexico embraces Korean culture.
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  Scandal hits storied British soccer club Manchester City 02.10.2026 50m

  An independent panel has found the British Premier League club Manchester City to be guilty on 114 out of 115 charges related to, among other things, widespread financial misconduct. The UAE-owned team has denied all charges and lodged an appeal. Also, a look at whether or not regulation can stop the scourge of AI-generated fake campaign material in Brazil’s elections. And, Egypt continues its crackdown on the free press. Plus, all aboard the Germany-Poland Culture Train.
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  Western Europe concerned about Russian hybrid threat 01.10.2026 49m

  Russia’s war in Ukraine is prompting a new debate across Western Europe about how far the conflict’s security risks could spread. Also, Turkey steps up diplomatic efforts to protect ships, cargo and sailors in the Black Sea amid the Russia-Ukraine war. And, Egyptian authorities have rounded up six editorial board members of one of two remaining independent news sites in the country. Plus, using sounds of healthy reefs to encourage coral growth in degraded locations.
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  Catastrophe averted on UAE flight to Israel 30.09.2026 50m

  According to Israeli authorities, a plane traveling into Tel Aviv from the United Arab Emirates nearly crashed after a pilot stabbed another pilot and appeared to have tried to crash the aircraft, but the plane eventually landed safely after being diverted to Saudi Arabia. Also, a look at Cuba’s shifting economy. And, students in more than 400 high schools across France are protesting funding cutbacks, overcrowded classes and teacher shortages, with demonstrations in some cities turning violent. Plus, how Ghana’s college admissions are largely tied to one major exam.
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  US withdraws its last troops from Iraq 29.09.2026 50m

  Several thousand US troops are leaving their remaining bases in Iraq by the end of the day tomorrow. US soldiers have been stationed in the country for more than two decades. Also, a look at how Spain, often violently, acquired its enclaves in Morocco. And, the Kelvin wave causes a commotion in the Pacific Ocean. Plus, measuring the Earth’s health by listening to the soil.
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  Brazil's Supreme Court in crisis ahead of high-stakes election 28.09.2026 50m

  Brazil's high-stakes presidential election is less than a week away, and a crisis is unraveling at the country’s Supreme Court, with a corruption scandal causing justices to trade insults and cancel sessions. Also, more than 30 people have been reported killed in a series of at least four separate mass shootings that have taken place in South Africa over the past week. And, efforts to rein in the growing problem of e-waste in Ghana and Nigeria. Plus, the music and legacy of the Mighty Sparrow, a musician from Trinidad and Tobago known as the king of calypso.
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  The story of a Haitian deportee 25.09.2026 49m

  Since late August, a plane has flown once a week from Louisiana, carrying Haitians — who had been living in the US under Temporary Protected Status, or TPS —  across the sea to the city of Cap-Haïtien, after the US Department of Homeland Security ended TPS for Haitians in late July. Also, global foreign aid is shrinking at a historic rate. And, Beijing’s view of the Xi-Trump meeting in Washington. Plus, how to eat the world’s “worst-smelling food” … the Swedish way
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  Ethiopia faces specter of renewed war 24.09.2026 50m

  Forces in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region seized three airports this week, only a few days after seven armed and political groups formed an alliance against the government. Also, climate control for art and artifacts accounts for a large share of museum carbon emissions, so museums are introducing new protocols to cut emissions while still protecting their collections. And, a new free database now holds nearly 4 million records of people enslaved in British colonies from the Caribbean to South Africa in the early 1800s. Plus, what’s next for Nepal?
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  Xi-Trump summit pageantry masks deep rifts 23.09.2026 50m

  Chinese leader Xi Jinping lands in Washington today for his first state visit since 2015. He will meet US President Trump to discuss safety, artificial intelligence, Taiwan's future and the possible extension of a trade truce. Also, an American Expressive Arts therapist has created an international network of mental health practitioners to support colleagues in Ukraine. And, a new report from the University of Chicago’s Climate Impact Lab estimates that unusually high temperatures could cause more than 451,000 deaths between June 2026 and February 2027. Plus, Scottish DJ Calvin Harris sets a Guinness World Record.
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  The US State Department's secret deportation deals 22.09.2026 49m

  Since returning to power, the Trump administration has sent around 25,000 migrants to 28 unfamiliar countries. Also, who will step into the role of the next UN chief? The answer awaits at this year's General Assembly. And, drones are reshaping the battlefield and the injuries doctors encounter. Plus, learn which Slovakian city has earned the title of capital of culture.
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  Saudi security and lucrative oil and gas business in 'sticky spot' 21.09.2026 49m

  Saudi Arabia weighs its options as Houthi rebels launch repeated missile and drone attacks on its cities, military sites and energy infrastructure. And, scientists experiment with a new Ebola vaccine. Also, the US, Denmark and Greenland sign a new deal that could ease months of tensions. Plus, researchers name a new cat species.
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  Europe toughens migration rules as ‘weaponized’ Spanish crossing incident denied by Morocco 18.09.2026 50m

  Many people in Europe think the Moroccan government was involved in the large border crossing in July, when almost 80,000 people entered Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave. Morocco denies this. Also, in Turkey, the prime minister has ordered police to crack down on LGBTQ+ communities in Istanbul, leading to many raids and arrests under obscenity laws to “protect families.” Syria once had one of the biggest bee populations in the Middle East, but only a small number survived the civil war that started in 2011. Now, local farmers are working to bring them back. Plus, an Australian company is producing fire-resistant bras and menstrual briefs.
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  European Union proposes Canada become an "associate member" 17.09.2026 49m

  Canada and the European Union want to strengthen their alliance and broader trade ties. This week, the president of the European Parliament proposed making Canada an "associate member" of the bloc. Also, Mexican authorities are investigating a string of clandestine cryptocurrency mines after discovering more than 1,000 mining machines in a remote part of Puebla, apparently powered with stolen electricity. And, fuel prices are skyrocketing again, prompting protests, rationing and blackouts in several countries. Plus, ahead of the centennial of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane's birth on Sunday, we listen to a modern exponent of his sound.
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  21 killed in Gaza building collapse. Rescue workers continue to search. 16.09.2026 49m

  In Gaza today, rescue teams comb through rubble, searching desperately for survivors after a war-damaged building gave way. The death toll has climbed to at least 21, a Gaza Health Ministry official reports. Also, Israel's prime minister has vowed to introduce a law stripping citizenship from those accused of defaming the nation's army. And, in Nepal, flood survivors with disabilities struggle to find sign language interpreters, transportation, and even basic information. Plus, a Brazilian cellist who performs in conflict zones.
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  Russian disinformation networks gear up for midterms 15.09.2026 49m

  The Kremlin’s history of election meddling is entering a new era, as artificial intelligence arms Russia with sharper, more elusive tools for interference in the US midterm elections. Also, global measles cases have surged by 8% since 2019. And, the Trump administration is tightening the rules for international students, shortening the time they can stay before needing to reapply for a visa or leave the country. Plus, a Singapore university has revealed the world’s second biological data center, where living human neurons and silicon hardware join forces to process information.
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  Iran-backed Houthis make major gains in Yemen that could further choke trade 14.09.2026 50m

  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.
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  Remembering the 9/11 attacks 25 years later 11.09.2026 50m

  Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. We hear from a variety of voices remembering that day and its aftermath. A documentary photographer discusses one of her iconic photos. A former Guantanamo Bay prison detainee who was never charged talks about his experience. We highlight the profiles of victims who died at Ground Zero. Plus, a look at art and music that emerged in the years that followed.
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  As Nepal recovers, people seek to prepare for the next disaster 10.09.2026 49m

  A look at what could have been done better to prevent thousands of flooding deaths in Nepal. Also, a 9/11 widow helps Afghan widows. And, a former employee at the AI company Anthropic has warned on social media that the technology could “kill us all” by 2030, though others dispute the claim. Plus, the organic waste processing method that’s sparked a social movement in Colombia.
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  Spain's far-right moves closer to power 09.09.2026 50m

  A coalition between Spain’s Populist, anti-immigrant Vox party with the center-right Popular Party could move the country closer to the far-right than ever before. Also, with the US military focused on its war with Iran, we look at how prepared Washington is to defend its Pacific allies. And, a delegation from Jamaica asks King Charles to seek guidance on whether Britain is obligated to pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. Plus, we take a listen to music that brings together different regions of Morocco.