The World

The Panama Canal uses a series of locks to raise the water level and carry ships across from one ocean to the other. But that requires lots of freshwater — and it's running low in Panama. And, On Wednesday, Zimbabweans will take to the polls to vote for their next president. Observers are saying this election is marred by violence and intimidation against the opposition and its supporters. Also, right now, in South Africa, the BRICS summit is in full swing. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India China, South Africa, an economic bloc of countries billed as five major emerging economies collectively representing 40% of the world’s population. Plus, remembering Isabel Crook, an anthropologist who joined Mao Zedong’s rural revolution.

Eradicating the swirling gyre of plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean has been the longtime goal of Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit group. On Monday, in Victoria, British Colombia, the group took a big step forward, hauling 120,000 pounds of plastic out of the ocean using retrofitted fishing trawlers and specialized nets. And, Bernardo Arévalo upset Guatemala’s political establishment by clenching his country’s presidency this past weekend. But he faces a tough task ahead. Also, in Ecuador, a peaceful snap presidential election took place over the weekend amid an unprecedented security crisis that has left three politicians assassinated in less than a month. Plus, an artist's fake green card project inspires conversations about US citizenship.

Ecuadorians will take part in a snap election this weekend in a tense political atmosphere. The country is grappling with a recent wave of unprecedented violence that has seen three politicians assassinated in less than a month. And, a former Afghan diplomat, Abduljamil Bais, is resettling with his family in Canada. This follows a harrowing journey for Bais, his wife and three kids through South and Central America. Also, in Myanmar, rappers are considered the artistic arm of a revolution to bring down the ruling military through armed rebellion. "Rap Against Junta" is a collective of lyricists who work under pseudonyms and change locations frequently to avoid getting caught. Plus, a Cuban pianist longs for home.

The entire population of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories, was ordered to evacuate due to wildfire danger this week. A climate engineer says he's astonished by the speed of the fires approaching the city. Also, fighting that began in April between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has created a humanitarian crisis, forcing 4 million people from their homes. And, Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration with the treatment of Ukrainians in Israel. Now, Kyiv is reportedly considering canceling visa-free travel for Israelis. Plus, a look at popular ice cream flavors from 18th century Britain, including “brown bread,” and how it's been resurrected for visitors to try at 13 historical sites across England.

Two years after the 2021 Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, independent journalism there has been all but completely snuffed out. Some news outlets continue to report on Afghanistan, but from outside the country. We hear from one Afghan newspaper editor, now working out of Washington, DC. Plus, the South Korean thriller "Parasite" was the first non-English language film to win best picture in 2020. But there's another film from South Korea that's been on the radar of international movie buffs for two decades. Now, "Oldboy" is getting a remake. And in Colombia's capital city Bogota, a guerrilla campaign of vigilantes armed with spray paint cans are calling attention to crumbling urban infrastructure.

Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the Afghan capital, Kabul. Since then, the group has transformed the country into a place where women have very few rights and many are struggling to make ends meet. And, in Ethiopia, an airstrike on a crowded town square in Amhara killed at least 26 people on Sunday. Amhara is a regional state where local militiamen and government forces have clashed recently over efforts to disband the militias. Also, a judge in Montana sided with young people who argued that the state had violated their right to a “healthful environment” by promoting fossil fuel use. We hear how climate change litigation is gaining momentum globally. Plus, this scholar examines Shakespeare through a racial equity lens.

In Australia, 1 in 25 properties will be effectively uninsurable by 2030, according to a recent report due to rising risks of extreme weather events. In the face of worsening wildfires, droughts, floods and cyclones, insurance companies are either pulling out of the highest risk areas or making premiums so high as to be unaffordable. And, activists take on drug gangs in the anti-establishment community of Christiana, in Copenhagen. Also, some young men in Niger’s capital Niamey, say they’re a "citizens’ watch group," patrolling the streets to ensure that outsiders do not drive into Niamey and try to turn back the military coup. We hear why some youth are in favor of the coup. Plus, this Nicaraguan exile makes a new home in the Colorado mountains.

The US and Iran have reached a deal that will see the release of Iranian American prisoners held in Iran in exchange for Tehran gaining access to its frozen assets. Also, authorities in Ecuador have arrested six Colombian suspects in connection to the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. We look at the possible role of organized crime in the shooting. And, to celebrate hip-hop turning 50, we look at women who are rocking the mic across the globe. Plus, the mystique around North Korea, the so-called “Hermit Kingdom,” has allowed officials to profit through restaurants across Southeast Asia, where customers can try the cuisine and watch North Korean waitresses sing and even dance. But now, many of them are closing down.

Fernando Villavicencio, 59, was on the rise as a presidential candidate in Ecuador. He fearlessly took on drug cartels and corruption. On Wednesday, he was shot and killed outside of a political rally in Ecuador's capital, Quito. And, Sixto Rodriguez, the Detroit-born singer-songwriter known under the moniker Rodriguez, has died. His 1970 debut album didn't attract much attention in the US, but it garnered a cult following in South Africa. Also, an accidental data breach is causing anxiety among Northern Ireland's police force. The breach is the second in a matter of weeks and includes the full names and locations of police officers. Plus, Hawaii's royal capital is devastated by wildfires.

Britain has begun moving asylum-seekers out of government-funded hotels and onto a large barge docked off the country's southwest coast. The move is part of a controversial plan by the Conservative government to crack down on the number of asylum-seekers arriving on small boats off UK shores. And, Brigadier Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou was Washington’s point person in Niger, in charge of elite forces that US troops had been training to fight militants. Now, he’s the spokesperson for the military junta that ousted Niger’s democratically elected president. Also, while most of the globe's economies are grappling with the effects of inflation, China's economy is charting a different course  — suffering from deflation. Plus, how the siege of Sarajevo turned this musician from a pop-star to a punk rocker.