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Polyethylene bags are used to protect bananas from pests and blight on a plantation in Costa Rica.

The shadow of the United Fruit Company still reaches across the globe today

About a hundred years ago, the Boston-based banana company, United Fruit, reigned supreme in Central America. It didn’t just own banana plantations, but also railroads and telephone lines. The company even dictated national policies and overthrew governments. For his podcast “Under the Shadow,” about US involvement in Central America, Michael Fox traveled to Guatemala, where he looked at the legacy of United Fruit and its impact on the global fruit industry today.

The shadow of the United Fruit Company still reaches across the globe today
A main street on the edge of Mea She'arim, a Haredi (religious) neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Neturei Karta: an Orthodox Jewish sect that doesn’t believe in the concept of a Jewish state of Israel

Neturei Karta: an Orthodox Jewish sect that doesn’t believe in the concept of a Jewish state of Israel
a group of tourists take photos of the birds perched on the balcony rails

Macaws lighten things up in Venezuela’s capital, and form a special bond with residents

Macaws lighten things up in Venezuela’s capital, and form a special bond with residents
Build it, and they will come: The dream of King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.

Out of Eden Walk: Paul Salopek traverses the Arabian Peninsula via Saudi Arabia

Out of Eden Walk: Paul Salopek traverses the Arabian Peninsula via Saudi Arabia
Children play in the surf at Kite Beach with the Burj al Arab, the Dubai Marina and a man flying a powered parachute in the background in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 8, 2016.

To beat the heat, beach lovers in Dubai head to the shores at night

To beat the heat, beach lovers in Dubai head to the shores at night
"I'll Have What She's Having" is an exhibit that explores the history of Jewish delis in America.

Jewish American delis: A story of culture, community and survival

Food is, of course, an important part of culture. A new exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, Illinois, is exploring the role delis have played in Jewish culture and history. In America, many delis were founded by Holocaust survivors.

Jewish American delis: A story of culture, community and survival
From left, students Shakked Klein, Nearodey Chhoem, Angelina Hadad, Nico Ben Jacob and Chidinma Okoli. About half the students at Givat Haviva come from abroad.

This school in Israel is opening dialogue among its Jewish, Arab and international students

In a country where most Arabs and Jews typically start going to separate schools starting at around kindergarten, one school in northern Israel is trying something different.

This school in Israel is opening dialogue among its Jewish, Arab and international students
US dollars are now commonly used by businesses in Venezuela. The informal adoption of the dollar has helped to decrease inflation and product shortages.

Venezuela’s public sector workers take on multiple side jobs just to get by

To supplement their meager wages, many government workers in Venezuela are turning to side hustles that include driving taxis, baking cakes, selling clothes or taking care of pets. And that’s having an impact on the quality of public services.

Venezuela’s public sector workers take on multiple side jobs just to get by
The 2015 Kennedy Center Honors Honorees, including conductor Seiji Ozawa, stand on stage during a reception for them in the East Room of the White House, Dec. 6, 2015.

Renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa is remembered as 'graceful,' 'supernaturally' gifted

Seiji Ozawa, who led the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for nearly three decades, died this week in his home country of Japan. The World speaks to Brian McCreath, who broadcasts the Boston Symphony Orchestra on WCRB in Boston, about Ozawa's life and legacy.

Renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa is remembered as 'graceful,' 'supernaturally' gifted
People board a truck as they leave Khartoum, Sudan, on June 19, 2023.

'I no longer have a dream': Sudan has the largest displacement of children in the world

Telecommunications and internet connectivity were cut off again across Sudan as millions of people face an ongoing civil war. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder just returned from Darfur, a particularly troubling epicenter of the violence, and spoke to The World's host Marco Werman about the latest conditions.

'I no longer have a dream': Sudan has the largest displacement of children in the world
Yousef Hammash with his wife and children, Elia and Ahmad.

‘I don't know what's waiting for us in the next minute’: A father tries to protect his family in Gaza

Israel has signaled that it's planning to expand operations in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. About a million Palestinians are crammed into the city near the Egyptian border after repeatedly being told to move south, and now they say they have nowhere left to flee. The World’s host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Yousef Hammash, who works with the aid group the Norwegian Refugee Council, and moved there months ago with this family.

‘I don't know what's waiting for us in the next minute’: A father tries to protect his family in Gaza
Florida is home to the largest Haitian community in the US with more than 300,000 people of Haitian ancestry.

Miami’s Little Haiti: What is lost when a community is displaced?

The Haitian population of Miami has remained unchanged since the beginning of the century, with about 30,000 people. But little remains of the neighborhood that Maria and Viter Juste founded in the 1970s that came to be known as Little Haiti.

Miami’s Little Haiti: What is lost when a community is displaced?
Nathalie Vilgrain, sixth from left, is the head of Marijàn, a feminist organization in Port-Au-Prince that is sheltering about 150 women who have been displaced by sexual violence.

In Haiti, sexual violence is devastating women and girls

Gender-based violence has become a systematic problem in Haiti, with rape incidents on the rise. Activists say the documented cases are just the tip of the iceberg.

In Haiti, sexual violence is devastating women and girls
A Palestinian walks through the destruction by the Israeli bombardment in the Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza Strip, Jan. 16, 2024.

100 days of fighting in Gaza with no end in sight

It's been 100 days since renewed fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7. The World's host Marco Werman discusses the latest with professor Nathan Brown.

100 days of fighting in Gaza with no end in sight
A 9th-century recipe from a 10th-century cookbook from Baghdad, updated for the modern diner by renowned chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Najmieh Batmanglij.

‘Dining with the Sultan’: A unique exhibit explores the fine art of feasting in historic Islamic lands

A new exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art takes visitors on a journey to explore food and art through the Middle East and beyond. It includes recipes by an Iranian American chef dating back to 10th-century Baghdad and artwork influenced by different cultures.

‘Dining with the Sultan’: A unique exhibit explores the fine art of feasting in historic Islamic lands