The World

Rafik Hariri was a charismatic Lebanese prime minister who oversaw an era of relative economic and political stability until his assassination. Amal Mudallali was Rafik Hariri’s foreign policy adviser and more recently a permanent representative to the UN for Lebanon, who spoke about Hariri's legacy and the opportunity Lebanon is now confronted with. Also,  Australia has passed tough anti-hate laws, with mandatory jail time for giving the Nazi salute in public. It's part of an effort to combat a wave of anti-semitism in the country.Also, as controversy continues around South Korea's impeached president, a look at the anti-feminist platform that brought him to power, and the state of feminism in South Korea today. And, Chile’s biggest carnival is kicking off at full speed on Friday. As many as 150,000 people have traveled to the northern Chilean town of Arica to participate. Our reporter takes us there.

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President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have signaled a dramatic shift in the US approach to Russia, Ukraine, and the NATO alliance. Where does that leave Europe? Also, the latest craze in cryptocurrency is using memes to bring attention to specific coins. They're called meme coins, and they're risky, because they're backed by nothing but internet attention. Now, one of the world's poorest countries has become the first to launch a national meme coin. The Central African Republic's president launched it on X, and it's been a wild ride ever since.  And, in Spain, the trial of former women's national team coach Luis Rubiales comes to an end; Rubiales is accused of sexual aggression for a victory kiss that player Jennifer Hermoso says was not consensual.

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The civil war in Sudan has been raging for nearly two years and has displaced an estimated 12 million people. Now, there are reports that the breakaway military faction, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has stormed the Zamzam Refugee Camp in North Darfur, Sudan's largest displacement camp. We hear from an expert who has been monitoring the situation on the ground. Denmark is dismantling immigrant neighborhoods where the government says residents — mostly people from the Middle East — don’t share “Danish values.” A law that came into effect six years ago paved the way for the government to kick folks out of public housing, and then entice people who do have Danish values to move in. That is to say: white Danes. The project is sparking vocal criticism throughout Europe. Also, a balancing act in the city of Kyoto: how to preserve the city's spiritual heritage while still benefiting from the heavy tourism it draws. And, Ukrainian journalist and Wall Street Journal correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov stops by The World to discuss his recent novel, as well as the current situation in Ukraine.

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US President Donald Trump meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House as Trump's plan to forcibly remove Palestinians in Gaza to Jordan and Egypt is met with regional and global condemnation. Also, the “Vote-o-Mat” helps German voters navigate candidates ahead of parliamentary elections. And, the movie “Emilia Pérez”, which has received 13 Oscar nominations has been mired in controversy and has become unpopular in Mexico. Plus, scientists say the shape of the Earth’s core may be changing shape.

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An AI summit in Paris brings together world leaders, scientists and tech executives to discuss the groundbreaking impact of artificial intelligence, with EU nations and India playing “catch-up” to the US and China. Also, Senegal renames its streets that were named after French colonial figures to those of prominent Senegalese. And, Israeli police arrest two Palestinian bookstore owners in occupied East Jerusalem, with Arab and Jewish supporters protesting their detention in front of a Jerusalem court. Plus, conservationists build "sloth bridges" in Costa Rica to keep the animals safe.

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Voters in Ecuador will head to the polls for general elections this weekend. The next president will face the enormous task of dismantling well-funded and powerful organized crime groups in the country as well as restoring trust in government and fix an economy in crisis. Also, the Trump administration is using military planes to deport migrants to Latin America, and regional leaders are expressing concerns about how they're being treated. And, a close relative of one of the recently-released Israeli hostages tells us her family's story. 

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Advancing the human rights of LGBTQ people around the world was part of the Biden administration's policy agenda. The point person for that effort was Jessica Stern, a US special envoy. She left the job with the changing of the guard at the White House, and President Donald Trump is not expected to fill the position. On Thursday, in her first interview since stepping down, Stern reflects on her time advancing LGBTQ rights on the global stage. Also, it's been the warmest winter that anyone can remember in Russia. That might sound nice, but for many Russian communities, melting ice and thawing temperatures have caused real problems. And, Japan experiences more earthquakes than any country. So, how has its nationwide transit system remained so remarkably safe?

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Negotiations for the phase two of the ceasefire deal for Gaza are underway. The vision for this phase has been for Hamas and Israel to work out details surrounding the release of the remaining hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. But controversy surrounding comments from US President Donald Trump during Tuesday's visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only increases the difficulty of this diplomatic challenge.
Also, what justice for past crimes might look like in post-Assad Syria. And, Thailand cut off access to power and internet for jungle compounds in Myanmar where phone and text scammers work day and night.

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Panama has become the first Latin American nation to pull out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It’s also weighing whether to cancel its contract with the Hong Kong-based company that operates near the Panama Canal. An adviser to the US Institute for Peace says that it's all part of the long rivalry between the US and China in Latin America. Also, Syria's new interim president is traveling to Turkey to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There's a lot at stake for both countries. Turkey, which hosts more than 3 million Syrian refugees, wants a stable Syria next door. And Syria's new government is looking for support to help rebuild the war-torn nation. And, we meet the man considered to be the first English teacher in Japan. He staged a shipwreck to get into the country, despite the isolationist policies of the time.

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Claudia Sheinbaum was able to postpone tariffs from the US for a month. In the meantime, Canada's Justin Trudeau has promised to impose tariffs of his own, urging Canadians to buy local. We look at how leaders from the US' closest neighbors are handling the new administration's trade moves. Also, a showdown in Toronto over bike lanes. The city built new infrastructure for cyclists during the pandemic. But the Ontario government wants to force Toronto to remove them. And, we have Groundhog Day here in the US. But other countries have their own traditional rituals around the dawn of springtime.