Close-up of a weathered bronze dog statue with a focus on its snout and open mouth.

Amid Madrid mega-statue hype, a small bronze dog shines

Arts, Culture & Media

Two proposals for giant statues in Madrid are stirring up controversy. Bigger is better, organizers argue. But a tiny, life-size statue of a stray dog, in downtown Madrid, proves the opposite for some. Paco the Dog sits quietly, keeping a city legend alive. Or is it a true story? The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Madrid.

Two Serbian flags hang on a pole surrounded by snow-covered tree branches.

Serbians caught between East and West struggle to keep warm

Energy
Three people seated in chairs on a stage in front of a curtain, engaged in a discussion, with one man holding a microphone and the woman wearing red boots.

At a time of crisis for Haiti, a filmmaker reflects on past US intervention

Arts, Culture & Media
A person standing partially behind a voting booth curtain with another person sitting at a table nearby, likely at a polling station.

France moving to the right as voters head to the polls for local elections

French elections
Two people wearing protective masks and Red Crescent uniforms stand on rocky terrain with a backdrop of thick black smoke and clouds.

After Israeli strikes on Tehran’s fuel depots, residents face a toxic aftermath

US-Israel-Iran War
A vast rural landscape featuring dry grasslands with scattered shrubs and bushes, set against a backdrop of distant hills and a clear blue sky.

Turkey’s Izmir facing severe shortages as water levels continue to drop

Environment

As Turkey faces its worst drought in half a century, many cities are implementing water cuts to avoid shortages while reservoirs sit dangerously low.

A child using a laptop for an online math lesson in a dimly lit room, with a colorful paper figure next to the screen.

AI is rapidly changing math, and mathematicians are defining their role in the equation

Science & Technology

Artificial intelligence is a game changer across many fields these days and mathematics is no exception. Yet, the rapid acceleration of its ability to solve some of arithmetic’s most challenging proofs has left many a mathematician wondering how they fit into future equations. The World’s Host Marco Werman spoke to one such human mathematician, Daniel Litt, at the University of Toronto.

Protesters in winter clothing hold signs reading "Hmong Against ICE" during a demonstration on a snowy street.

Minnesota’s Hmong community feeling a sense of betrayal amid ICE crackdowns

Immigration

The Hmong community has a long history with the United States, having supported Washington during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Now, its members are experiencing confusion and a sense of betrayal as ICE agents target them as part of the broader immigration crackdown in Minnesota and across the US.

A plate of crispbread topped with potatoes, herring, red onions, dill, and red berries, accompanied by two glasses of beer.

Surströmming challenge: How Swedes actually eat the world’s worst-smelling food

Food

Surströmming has drawn global attention because of an online challenge to eat what’s been dubbed the world’s stinkiest food. But locals in Sweden share how to properly eat the fermented herring and enjoy it instead as a delicacy.

A large plume of gray smoke rises above a cityscape with multiple buildings in the foreground, indicating an explosion or fire event.

A brief history of US, Israeli and Iranian relations

US-Israel-Iran War

The current war in the Middle East is just about a week old, but the history of US intervention in Iran dates back to the 1950s. We take a step back to look at the history of relations between Iran, the United States and Israel with Naghmeh Sohrabi, a professor of Middle East history at Brandeis University. She joins Host Carolyn Beeler to explain.

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