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Tunisian President Kais Saied fired the country's prime minister and suspended its parliament. Tunisia's main opposition party, Ennahda, called the move a "coup.” And Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and US President Joe Biden will sign an agreement on Monday to officially end US military combat missions in Iraq by the end of 2021. Also, more than half of Australia's population is under loc...

China's President Xi Jinping has made a surprise visit this week to the contested, autonomous region of Tibet. And, in the tumultuous days since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, some members of the Haitian diaspora are looking to play a role in shaping Haiti's future. Also, since US President Joe Biden announced the unconditional withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, the T...

On Aug. 9, Canada will reopen its land border to Americans who have been fully vaccinated. But Mexico isn't ready to lift its restrictions on nonessential travelers and neither is the US. And, Americans love ice cream, but in the past five years, the popularity of frozen treats in China has exploded. The country now has the largest ice cream market in the world. Also, while billionaires like Jeff...

COVID-19 is tearing through Indonesia, where the total case count is nearing 3 million and the infection rates have skyrocketed since mid-May. And today, UNESCO announced it is revoking Liverpool’s World Heritage status, over concerns about the city's waterfront redevelopment plans. Also, a rocket attack in Kabul, near the presidential palace, is yet another reminder of the worsening security situ...

Following the assassination of Haiti’s president, it remained unclear who would take charge. On Tuesday, Haitian officials announced that interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is stepping down and making way for Ariel Henry. Last year, many facilities run by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement became COVID-19 hot spots. Now, infections at these facilities are rising again. Also, for decades unde...

From blistering heat waves to massive flooding, recent extreme weather has some climate scientists surprised. Are climate models keeping up with the rapid pace of change? And, the US and its allies formally blame China for the hacking of a Microsoft Exchange email server that affected tens of thousands of computers in March. Also, Sudan was a self-described Islamic state under dictator Omar al-Bas...

Devastating floods in western Germany and Belgium have left at least 108 people dead and more than 1,300 others missing. And, Cuba is a world leader in medicine, and has quickly developed its own promising COVID-19 vaccine. About a quarter of the population has received at least one dose. Also, we hear from Brazilian musician Rodrigo Amarante about “Drama,” his second solo album, as well as his 25...

After Georgia’s LGBTQ community faced violence at a Pride event in Tbilisi last week, politicians say more action is needed and urged for accountability. And, vigils and protests continue in India over the death of 84-year-old Jesuit priest Stan Swamy. US and United Nations leaders have expressed concern about his death in an Indian prison. This week, the Italian government banned large cruise shi...

Iranian intelligence agents plotted an abduction on US soil. The alleged target: Iranian American author and journalist Masih Alinejad, a harsh critic of the Iranian government. Also, this week marks five years since a faction of Turkey’s military attempted a coup that left more than 250 dead. The country issued a state of emergency and has prosecuted thousands of people since then. And, we celebr...

In Cuba, activists say more than 100 people have been detained or gone missing since protests erupted over the weekend. We'll hear from someone in the capital, Havana. Also, do we need booster shots for COVID-19? Scientists are debating that question. Still, a handful of countries are preparing for boosters. Plus, does a lobster feel pain? The British Parliament wants to know.

Thousands of Cubans took to the streets on Sunday to protest the government’s mishandling of the pandemic and continued problems with power blackouts and food shortages. And, along with the assassination of Haiti’s president this week, the country faces an uptick in gang violence. Also, dozens of Chinese feminist social media channels have been abruptly deactivated recently, triggering anger and f...

Police in Haiti say that at least 15 people behind the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse were Colombian mercenaries, including several retired military members. And, after a 15-month standstill, cruises are leaving from American waters again with revamped health and safety protocols. Will it be smooth sailing? Also, most Islamic countries regard homosexuality as morally unacceptable — and a...

As American troops exit Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to take control over more and more territory. On Thursday, President Joe Biden sought to reassure Afghan allies about the future of US-Afghanistan relations. And, more than two dozen scientists at the global World Weather Attribution group worked nonstop over the past week to determine whether the Pacific Northwest's record-breaking heat w...

After more than a year of measures, such as mask mandates and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, communities around the world are adjusting to reopened workplaces and society. But ongoing concerns about the pandemic, and challenges posed by variants, have many people wary. As part of The World's regular series of conversations with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and...

Brazil is finally getting vaccines following President Jair Bolsonaro's botched approach to vaccination purchases and a range of COVID-19 hardships. Now, citizens are honking in celebration at drive-up vaccination sites. Also, Haiti's president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated Tuesday in an overnight attack. And, in May, a triple bombing at a girls' school in Kabul killed nearly 100 people, mostly...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that almost all COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in England by July 19. But with the Delta variant threat, many scientists say it’s a “recipe for disaster.” And, as Lebanon’s financial crisis deepens, interim Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that the country was days away from a "social explosion.” Also, Nigerian law enforcement reported the ki...

This story may sound familiar. A major hack, with more than 1,000 businesses affected. According to cybersecurity experts, the Russia-based hacking group REvil is the source of the attack. Also, in South Africa, political tensions are growing after a court sentenced former president Jacob Zuma to prison for absconding from a corruption inquiry — a ruling that appears to strike at perceived officia...

One of the main symbols of US military presence in Afghanistan was the Bagram Air Base. Now, after 20 years, the last remaining American troops have left. And, the town slogan for Lytton, British Columbia, is “Canada’s hot spot." This week’s heat wave caused temperatures there to soar to 121 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday. Also, "The Last Kings of Shanghai," Jonathan Kaufman’s latest book, takes re...

Chinese President Xi Jingping gave a rousing speech to an overflowing crowd today in Tiananmen Square on the 100th anniversary of the founding of China’s Communist Party. President Xi certainly remains popular in China and so does his party. And, as parts of the US bake under extreme temperatures, we turn to Ahmedabad, a city that has made a huge investment in combating urban heat. Today, Turkey f...

July 1 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party in China. Shanghai, where Mao Zedong and 12 other men first laid the foundations for the party, is now the epicenter for celebrations. And earlier this week, the US conducted airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in both Iraq and Syria. Just hours later, US forces also came under rocket attack. Where does Iraq stand in all...

Taliban fighters have taken over several districts since the US announced its unconditional troop withdrawal. To counter the insurgents, some Afghans are taking up arms. And, Ethiopia declared a unilateral ceasefire in the Tigray region on Monday, putting an end to nearly eight months of fighting that pushed hundreds of thousands into starvation. Also, Guam's surplus of vaccines — and hotel vacanc...

Heat waves across the US, Canada, parts of Europe and Siberia brought soaring temps this week. And, after the killing of Black American George Floyd, several African countries urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate police brutality in the US. The rights office conducted a global investigation, and the new report confirms that police brutality toward people of Af...

An Afghan government delegation, including President Ashraf Ghani, is on a two-day visit to Washington, DC. Their message: Don’t leave Afghanistan to the Taliban. And, US Vice President Kamala Harris made her first trip to the US-Mexico border since taking office. Also, Nicaraguan political cartoonist Pedro X. Molina wants to see fair elections. He’s been living in exile in Ithaca, New York, and f...

The Biden administration is reportedly preparing to evacuate thousands of Afghan interpreters and other local hires who assisted US forces over the past 20 years and now face threats from the Taliban. Also, the Cowessess First Nation in southern Saskatchewan said Wednesday that it has discovered hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of another former residential school for Indigenous children. A...

As new COVID-19 variants emerge, health authorities around the world are racing to inoculate people, while facing often-disjointed rollouts and limited supplies of shots. As part of The World's regular series of conversations on the pandemic with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and as a special episode in our podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with a panel of e...