The World

A top Romanian court has annulled results from the first round of the country's vote for president. The unprecedented ruling comes after the declassification of intelligence alleging that a Russian campaign had promoted the far-right winner. Our Europe correspondent has the latest. Also, a new directive from the Taliban bans women in Afghanistan from studying dentistry, nursing, and midwifery. And, a standup comic from Zimbabwe on how jokes land differently in the US.

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As a successful no-confidence vote topples the French government, a look at the political career of President Emmanuel Macron, whose presidency once signaled hope for change. Also, this week marks 40 years since the world's deadliest industrial disaster. The Bhopal gas leak originating at a pesticide plant in 1984 exposed 500,000 people in India to toxic vapors, killing thousands that night and leaving many more with serious health issues that persist to this day. How the Bhopal disaster changed India. And, Google's new AI weather forecasting tool, in the context of a global need for longer-term weather predictions.

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In South Korea on Wednesday, the streets were relatively calm after a night that many saw as the beginning of a coup d'état. That followed the president's controversial declaration of martial law. With the president now facing an impeachment effort by parliament, many Koreans are calm but concerned. Also, new research out of Canada shows that the company Amazon restricts access to books in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And, a new law in Belgium makes sex workers eligible for labor rights and protections.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a surprise televised announcement overnight imposing martial law, saying "North Korean forces" needed to be eradicated. Lawmakers quickly acted to cancel the emergency declaration, but the bitter political divide in the country remains unresolved. Also, a coalition of rebel forces in Syria is continuing its advance after capturing Aleppo, making its way through towns and villages toward the central city of Hama. And, a court in Vietnam upholds the death penalty for property tycoon Truong My Lan following her April conviction for embezzlement and bribery amounting to $12.5 billion. Plus, an aging population across Japan is redefining what it means to work.

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Syria's anti-government rebels launched a massive offensive last week, taking most observers by surprise and gaining control over  the largest city, Aleppo. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has responded by conducting aerial attacks on Aleppo city and Idlib province. Also, the president of the International Criminal Court lashed out at the US and Russia for interfering with its investigations as the institution’s annual meeting opened on today. And, a gathering of more than 200 nations convened in Busan, South Korea, to reach a landmark agreement on ending plastic pollution, but left without achieving its goal after pressure from oil-rich nations. Plus, Hong Kong launches its “PANDA GO! FEST HK” festival with 2,500 panda statues made of recycled rubber barrels to be put on display this month.

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National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek began an epic walk in early 2013, tracing the first steps of human migration out of Africa some 60,000 years ago. The World brings you some of his stories and experiences in this Out of Eden Walk special — starting in Ethiopia and walking through the Holy Lands, Uzbekistan and India, to mention a few. He even shares some of the foods he's eaten along the way to power his walk.

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As families and friends gather for meals together on US Thanksgiving Day, The World brings you a show packed with a variety of food stories. From brewing banana beer to a cookbook filled with African dishes; from the battle over döner kebabs to a lawsuit over butter chicken and from a mushroom restaurant in Mexico to savory ice cream flavors in 18th century England, this special show will pique your culinary interests.

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In the first day of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, we'll hear how people in Lebanon are feeling, as well as what analysts are seeing from military and diplomatic standpoints. Also, what's at stake for the Philippines in the wake of the vice president's public threat to assassinate the country's president? And, how mariachi singer Deyra Barrera ended up on the Kendrick Lamar album that just dropped.

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Mexico’s president has warned US President-elect Donald Trump against plans to slap large tariffs on the United States' three largest trading partners: Mexico, Canada and China. Also, Interpol's affiliate, Afripol, which is a union of African law enforcement agencies, has arrested more than a thousand suspected cybercriminals of various stripes in a continent-wide dragnet. And, thousands of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have flooded Pakistan’s capital Islamabad demanding his release. Plus, Italy plans to start the construction of a suspension bridge connecting mainland Italy to Sicily in 2025, an idea that’s been centuries in the making.

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Officials at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, penned a new climate finance deal this weekend, with richer countries agreeing to pay $300 billion per year to help countries in the Global South cope with climate change. Also, Israel's ambassador to the US says that a ceasefire with Hezbollah could be implemented "within days." And, Nicaragua’s legislature appears set to approve a constitutional amendment that would elevate the wife of the country’s leader to a new role as “co-president.” Plus, legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz, who remains wildly popular in Lebanon and the broader Middle East, turned 90 late last week.

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