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The composition "Organ²/ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible)" is performed unlike any other. When composer John Cage died in 1992, the only tempo instructions he left were to play the piece as slowly as possible. The John Cage Organ Foundation in Halberstadt, Germany, took the instructions literally. The World's Bianca Hillier reports that the first note was played in 2001 and the last will be played in 26...

The Biden administration has reopened visa and consular services at the US Embassy in Havana after a five-year lapse. Host Carol Hills speaks with Joe Garcia, former US congressman from South Florida, about what this means for Cubans seeking visas, and what the move says about US-Cuba relations.

China is struggling with a surge of COVID-19 cases but accurate numbers don't exist. A top Chinese epidemiologist says that what’s playing out now is the first of three expected waves of cases of the coronavirus in the coming months. International health experts predict there will be at least 1 million deaths from COVID-19 in China this year. The World’s Rebecca Kanthor reports from Shanghai.

A Canadian entrepreneur has vowed to walk from his home in London to Istanbul to capture the environmental cost of his own life, which he calculated in detail in what he calls a personal "lifetime carbon audit." Host Carol Hills tells the story of 59-year-old Craig Cohon, who began his trek on Tuesday.

Tickets to soccer games and holidays in Spain. These were just some of the tactics used by a British intelligence agent with MI5 to build trust with one of the most dangerous republican dissident groups in Northern Ireland today – the New Irish Republican Army. Recent court hearings for nine suspected members of the terrorist group arrested back in 2020 revealed these details about the years of wo...

Pelé, the legendary Brazilian soccer star who died last week, was carried through the streets of Santos, São Paulo, to his funeral. But first fans and soccer stars paid homage to him at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, where he had played. The World's Carol Hills describes what happened at Pelé’s wake.

Protests over the imprisonment of Peru's President Pedro Castillo paused over the holidays but they are expected to pick up steam again. Last month, Castillo had tried to avoid an impeachment vote by dissolving Congress. Instead, he ended up in jail. Thousands took to the streets to support him, and some died. After a break, protestors plan to go back to the streets this week. The World’s Tibisay...

Germany received its first shipment of liquefied natural gas at its new floating terminal in the North Sea on Tuesday. It’s part of a broader effort by the European Union to reduce reliance on Russian gas as the war in Ukraine grinds on. The World’s Carol Hills speaks with Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Former Pope Benedict, who died on Saturday at age 95, now lies in state in St. Peter's Basilica. Tens of thousands have lined up to say their farewells to the retired pontiff. Reporter John Last has this remembrance of the conservative icon who struggled against church reformers.

Night trains are making a comeback in Europe as more people are looking for climate-conscious travel options. In 2023, passengers will be able to snooze aboard the European Sleeper, which will take dozing travelers on a cross border trek from Brussels to Berlin over night. Host Marco Werman speaks with Jon Worth, who started the "Trains for Europe" campaign.

Taiwan's president announced last week that mandatory military service for young men will increase from four months to a full year. There is broad support for the move because of a rising threat from China. But Ashish Valentine reports from Taipei that not all young people are eager to spend more time in the military.

The United Arab Emirates is removing it's 30% alcohol tax for one year. Alcohol is expensive in the Gulf nation and this would make it much cheaper. The World's Carol Hills spoke with Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar with the Arab Gulf States Institute, about why this is seen as an attempt at encouraging more foreign tourism to the UAE amid competition with other Gulf Cooperation Council n...

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wept on Sunday as he vowed to reduce poverty and inequality as Brazil's returning president. His inauguration in the nation's capital of Brasilia drew tens of thousands of supporters. As Michael Fox reports, Lula is moving fast to reverse four years of Jair Bolsonaro's right-leaning policies, but he'll be facing some stiff opposition.

Several nongovernmental organizations have suspended their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban banned women working for them. The ban comes at a time when over 28 million people in the country require aid to survive, according to the United Nations. The World’s Shirin Jaafari reports.

We introduced you to Angela Alvarez in September when the Latin Grammy nominees were announced. At age 94, she'd been nominated for best new artist. The World spoke to the producer of her album, Angela’s grandson, Carlos Jose Alvarez at that time. He told us that his earliest memories of his grandmother were of music.

Murder rates of trans and queer people in Brazil are among the highest in the world. And it's become Bia Ferreira's mission to inform and protect the LGBTQ community there. The World's April Peavey spoke to Bia Ferreira about her community of fans and followers. 

Teju Cole is an author and photographer born in the US and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. When Marco Werman spoke with him in the beginning of 2020, Cole had just returned from his first trip to Mali, a country rich in music. We revisit that conversation with Teju Cole and play some of his favorite music from Mali.

Namewee is a well-known singer throughout Asia, but also controversial. He's ruffled feathers in his home country of Malaysia and he's banned in China. The World's China correspondent Rebecca Kanthor spoke with Namewee last summer.

J.P. Bimeni is a descendant of the royal family in Burundi, but when civil war broke out in 1993, Bimeni fled the country and was granted refugee status in Wales. It was in Wales where he discovered the music of Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding. Earlier this year, he released his second album called "Give Me Hope."

The World’s Tibisay Zea brought us this profile of the cuatro, the national instrument of Venezuela. And how it's getting more popular beyond the borders of its home country.

The Dizzy Brains are Madagascar's own raw and aggressive garage rock band that is heavily influenced by Iggy and The Stooges and MC5. They are also politically aware, singing about corruption, poverty and violence that are overwhelming their island nation. We hear from the band's frontman Eddy Andrianarisoa.

Austrian British musician Alicia Edelweiss used to busk on European city streets. These days, she takes the stage with a heavy dose of glittery eye makeup, an accordion and a hula-hoop!

Spanish-language lyrics feel like the norm in music today, but that wasn't always the case. The World's Sarah Birnbaum tells us how the music industry is changing and becoming more open to release all-Spanish albums.

Bird naturalist Mike Unwin put together a sort of family scrapbook for avian species, in his book, “Around the World in 80 Birds.” Unwin introduces the reader to dozens of birds and explains their relationship to humankind. He spoke with The World's Marco Werman. 

That's what the girls in the Star Feminine Band sing about in their song, "We Are Star Feminine Band." The members of the group are between the ages of 12 and 18, and they hail from Natitingou, a tiny village in the country of Benin. They sing for their rights with the hope for a brighter future for young girls everywhere.