State of the World from NPR

In mother-of-pearl suits, the Pearly Kings used to canvass East London for charity. The tradition of the Pearly Kings stretches back to the 1800s, when this area of the city was gritty and poor, and dressing up gave working-class people dignity. The most famous of the Pearly Kings, George Major, died in August at age 88. Major’s portrait still greets arrivals at Heathrow Airport, and he’s said to be the inspiration for an iconic character in a British sit-com.
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American forces made a formal exit from Iraq with a low-key ceremony. It marks the end of an era that began over 23 years ago with President George Bush’s “shock and awe” invasion. The U.S. military has actually been in Iraq for much of the last 35 years, and the country is still facing an uncertain future.
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Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega made a bombshell announcement this summer that he’s ending national elections. Now, the U.S is pushing leaders in the Americas to confront Nicaragua, and is calling for a rare meeting of the Organization of American States.
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Turkey’s burgeoning defense industry, soft cultural power and role as conflict mediator are growing its influence in the Middle East. As dynamics with Iran, Gaza and the U.S. shift, Turkey is positioning itself as a new regional power.
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Born a year before Israel's creation, Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour spent his life painting the faces and landscapes of Israeli occupation. He died in August at age 79, and was buried in the occupied West Bank.
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Pope Leo XIV makes the first papal state visit to France in nearly 20 years. The pope will preside over Mass in the heart of Paris, meet with sex abuse survivors and deliver a speech on European unity in a city near the German border. In South Africa, citizens celebrate Heritage Day and attempt to set a new world’s record for barbeque.
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Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with President Trump, we examine shifting views of America in China. Also — how Beijing is circumventing U.S. sanctions on Iran, especially its oil.
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In Pakistan, dozens of parents who brought their children to hospitals for routine care say their kids now have HIV. At least six children have died. Parents accuse hospital staff of spreading the virus by reusing syringes and needles for injections and IV drips.  Families are fighting for recognition of this avoidable tragedy, and to care for children now burdened with a lifelong illness.
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World leaders are again gathering in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly. This will be the last meeting of the body for the current U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres. We hear about the challenges he faces in his final months in the job. And we hear from a U.N. insider about what the future of the body may be under the next secretary general.

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Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk says that Russia is planning “accidental” strikes on countries supporting Ukraine. This comes after a number of incidents, blamed on Russia, in countries that are part of the NATO alliance.

And Russians vote in parliamentary elections for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine over four and half years ago. Russia has gained minimal territory and their causalities number in the hundreds of thousands. But despite that, don’t expect the war to be up for debate.

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Russia is believed to be holding thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians as prisoners of war. In addition, Russia is tormenting the families of these prisoners by contacting them on social media and demanding favors. We hear from some of these family members.

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For decades, the European Union and Canada have each had strong bonds with the United States. In trade, diplomacy, military cooperation, their close relationships with the U.S. were taken as a given. But the Trump administration has shaken up that status quo with tariff wars and other demands on allies. So now the EU and Canada are now looking at each other and thinking they might feel a spark. We hear about the special status their relationship may soon have.

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In Turkey, gold is gifted throughout life's major milestones and stashing it safely at home is also a time honored practice. Turks have long used gold to safeguard their fortunes as a hedge against the country’s sometimes volatile economy. But officials say all that gold hoarding is hurting Turkey’s financial future. We go to Istanbul to understand why.

And President Trump claims Ukraine and Russia have agreed to stop striking each other’s energy sites. But neither country has said they formally signed off on such a deal. Our reporter in Kyiv unpacks the claims and reality.

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Raja Shehadeh, one of the world’s leading Palestinian writers, has been on a mission to save his most personal work: his diaries documenting decades of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation. NPR’s Daniel Estrin has this conversation with the award winning author and the story of his secret effort to preserve his archives.

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The 25th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the United States are being observed across the U.S. Those events left marks on countless lives across this country and you can hear and read that coverage at our website. Because our podcast has a global focus, we’re going to hear how those events impacted someone overseas— a woman in Afghanistan. We hear about her journey in the quarter century since the attacks and the life-changing decision for her family that she was forced to make.

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Israel launched a ground invasion of neighboring Lebanon in March, after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah ramped up attacks following the U.S. and Israel war in Iran. Israel said it was creating a “buffer zone” on the Lebanese side of the border and over a million civilians were displaced.

The U.S. brokered a ceasefire this summer, but since that time Israel has continued seizing territory and destroying villages. Lebanese residents have not been allowed to return and Israel now occupies almost six percent of Lebanon.

Our correspondent accompanied UN peacekeepers to the part of Lebanon now controlled by Israel and she tells us what she saw.

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When the U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran over six months go, Iran retaliated by blocking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also launched counterattacks on U.S. military targets across the Gulf. They hit U.S. forces on air bases in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Now, as the war drags on, and even escalates in recent days, the future of those bases and U.S. troops in the region remains uncertain. On today’s episode we’re going to explore that future with NPR’s Pentagon correspondent and international correspondent in the Gulf.

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The United Kingdom announced a major reset of its relations with Israel. And the country’s foreign minister used surprisingly strong language in explaining the move. The UK was joined by France, Canada and nine other countries who say they’re all banning trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. Israel and its closest ally, the United States, condemned the move and Israel says it’s retaliating. Our reporter in London explains what prompted this move.

And in Germany, there was an election over the weekend in a small eastern region of the country, but it sent shockwaves across Germany and into Europe more broadly. The far-right AfD party won big and the party of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the conservative Christian Democrats, received a record low number of votes. We here why the result is raising some tough questions about German democracy.

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In this encore episode, we examine the booming population along coastal corridor from the cities Lagos to Abidjan.  It has the potential to be a bustling West African economic engine, tied together by a long-promised superhighway that could slash travel time and supercharge trade. But the task of harnessing that potential has barely been met. We travel along a section of the road to understand why.

You can see a stunning visual presentation of this reporting here.

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We go to the Scottish Highlands to learn about breakfast dish that has just three ingredients but countless variations: porridge, better known in the U.S. as oatmeal. Each fall, foodies and oatmeal lovers gather in Scotland for the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship. We learn what makes a good recipe and which direction you should never stir your porridge.

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Just like in the U.S., Israel’s politicians are focused on an upcoming national election that could be consequential— Israelis vote at the end of October. And that has factored into the relationship between the two countries. The Trump administration has been showing growing signs of frustration with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As we hear from NPR’s correspondent in Tel Aviv, the feeling is mutual.

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Life has changed recently in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Residents there had gotten used to periodic Russian airstrikes happening maybe once or twice a week. But now the attacks are more constant using drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, even hypersonic missiles - not only during the night, but now during the day. We hear from the mayor of Kyiv.

And while Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping up his assault on Ukraine, he’s also professing support for Iran amid its conflict with the U.S. and Israel. But as NPR’s reporter in Moscow tells us, it’s unclear just how far that partnership goes.

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It was almost a week ago that a wall of water and mud and rock devastated riverside Himalayan communities in Tibet and Nepal and rescuers are still trying to locate hundreds of missing people. Many of them are workers believed to be trapped inside a dozen hydro-power plants. We hear about the rescue operation.

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The U.S. and Venezuela say they have entered into a partnership that would give the U.S. majority control of more that 65 billion barrels worth of oil reserves. President Trump hopes to lower energy costs in the U.S., Venezuela’s leaders hope to bring investment and keep the unpopular U.S.-backed interim president in power. But given the U.S. oil industry’s past experiences in Venezuela, it’s not clear when, or if, that oil gets to U.S. gas pumps.

And it was a weekend of violence in the Israeli Occupied West Bank, with multiple assaults on Palestinians reported and one on a U.S. news crew. The attacks by Israeli settlers were condemned by both Israeli and U.S. officials, but no arrests were made. We go to the West Bank.

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It has been six months since the U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran. And the effects of the conflict can be felt in the United States in higher fuel prices and extended deployments for some members of the military. In Iran, the war is felt more acutely. Economic exhaustion and an atmosphere of fear have left virtually no part of Iranian existence untouched. Civilians have had to adapt an intensifying wave of state repression and a collapsing domestic economy. We hear from people inside Iran to understand what their lives are like.

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Since the October 7th, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, much has happened with the U.S.’s key ally in the Middle East. Israel launched an invasion of Gaza and then Lebanon. The U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran.

So, how do Americans feel about Israel now? And vice versa? Four years ago, 67 percent of Americans had a favorable view of Israelis, according to Pew Research Center. Last month, that number was 52 percent. To get beyond the numbers, we hear how Americans and Israelis talk about each other in Washington and Jerusalem.

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When the Democratic Republic of Congo is in the news, it’s usually related to poverty, or conflict— most recently it was the Ebola outbreak. But the country is a cradle of design creativity. Congolese artists have few places they can showcase their talents but in the last few years DRC Fashion Week has given them an outlet. We go to annual celebration of color, creativity and fashion.

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Just like in the United States and elsewhere, workers in China are worried about artificial intelligence taking away their jobs. So they are fighting back. This summer, acourt in the Chinese city of Guangzhou sided with a graphics designer who was replaced by AI, ruling his dismissal was unlawful. Similar court decisions have happened across several Chinese cities and are being hailed as victories for workers’ rights. But with China’s push to win the AI race, workers still have plenty to be anxious about. We go to China to learn more.

And in Rwanda, if you want to grab a tall cold one at the end of the day, your beverage very well might be milk. Milk bars are a part of daily life and the drink holds cultural significance. But, this popular beverage may be causing problems for the population.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new pressure on Iran Monday, that the administration is calling an “economic D-Day”. Almost six months after the U.S. and Israel launched the conflict in Iran, this so-called Operation Economic Outcast aims to marginalize the country even further.  It includes measures to impose sanctions on any country or entity that deals with the the government in Tehran.

We hear from NPR’s diplomatic and White House correspondents on what the sanctions hope to accomplish in the conflict. And from an Iran expert on how that country’s leadership might respond.

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After the U.S. and Israel launched the war in Iran, and Iran responded by attacking U.S. targets in the region, hundreds of U.S. diplomats were evacuated from embassies in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and half a dozen other countries. Some of those embassy staff may start returning to their posts soon, however the State Department is still limiting the number of personnel in the Middle East as the war in Iran drags on. NPR’s Diplomatic Correspondent tells us what that reduced presence means for U.S. interests.

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It’s summer, so warm weather is to be expected. But in Europe this summer has been really, really hot. Five heat waves so far have broken records on the continent and there has been drought and wildfires as well. Extreme weather is linked to human-made climate change. And political parties in Europe are capitalizing on the fact that the heat is at the front of voters minds. But as we learn, those political parties are probably not the ones you’re expecting.

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In July, Iraq’s new prime minister visited Washington. There he promised President Trump that Iraq would disarm Iran-backed militias by the end of September. Many of those militias attacked U.S. troops during their occupation of Iraq and since the U.S.- Iran war, some of these paramilitary groups have hit U.S. assets. But for a country with close ties to neighboring Iran, it’s a tough promise for Iraq to keep. We go to Baghdad to see how the country is balancing its relationship between the two powers.

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India’s ruling party, the BJP, realizes it has a problem reaching young voters. Last month, youth-led protests, sparked by education policy and high unemployment, shook the political establishment. The Gen Z protest leaders started the “cockroach” political movement, so-named after an official disparagingly compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches.” So now the ruling party is revamping it’s communications strategy. But even as they hope to woo young voters, police are arresting protest organizers on public order charges. We go to Mumbai to see the BJP’s charm and punishment campaign with the younger generation.

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The family of a Palestinian American man have been under siege in their home in the occupied West Bank. Extremist Israeli settlers attacked the home for days and the Israeli military has now sealed off the area. A United Nations agency was called in to deliver food, water and medicine to the family. We hear from a family member now trapped in the house.

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Beneath the shattered villages and scorched fields of southern Lebanon lies a quieter aftermath of war - contaminated land. Israel's war against Hezbollah in south Lebanon has poisoned soil and destroyed valuable ecosystems for generations to come. Soil samples of the land show high levels of heavy metals, the herbicide Glyphosate, and white phosphorus.
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In China, top leaders are pushing the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. Companies there are using AI at a scale that far outpaces that of the US. That means some Chinese workers are being displaced from their jobs. Now, Chinese courts are stepping in. And in some cases, courts are ruling that worker displacement is unlawful. But Chinese workers are still anxious.
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The Trump administration is opening federally-protected marine areas in the Pacific Ocean to commercial fishing. In rarely granted access, NPR visited Palmyra, a remote, low-lying atoll with one of the most pristine coral reefs in the world.
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A trash-can wearing comedian is far-right Nigel Farage’s main rival in this week’s Parliamentary election in the British town of Clacton-on-Sea. Farage is the incumbent, and his campaign finances are under investigation. Polls show Farage is still likely to win, but that Count Binface — a spoof candidate who wears a garbage pail on his head — may get around 20-percent of the vote. Some say Binface’s relative popularity is a reflection of voter disaffection.  Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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Curators and archaeologists risked their lives to hide and protect Syria’s cultural treasures during its civil war. Some archaeological sites still face plunder by looters.  Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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Switzerland might be thought of as the land of snow-capped alps and incredibly good chocolate. But it is also a world leader in underground nuclear bunkers with more than 370,000 of them. There are enough for each of Switzerland’s nine million citizens to be guaranteed a space in one. But why? We go to the alpine country to find out.

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It is one of the largest gatherings of people in the world. More than 20 million Shia Muslim pilgrims gathered in the Iraqi city of Karbala this week for the annual commemoration of the 7th Century killing of a central figure of their faith. Iran is mostly Shia and this year greater numbers of Iranians participated in the pilgrimage, many say because of the killing of their modern-day religious leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by airstrikes in the early days of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran. We go to Karbala to hear from some Iranian pilgrims.
  
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The West Bank is a Palestinian territory between Israel and Jordan that been under Israeli military occupation since 1967. For decades Israeli Jewish settlers have been creating settlements there, taking more and more of the West Bank away from Palestinians. This has the support of Israel’s far right government, which faces a possible loss of power in an October election, and that’s led to a frenzy of settlement activity. The government has legalized past settlements under Israeli law and approved new ones in areas that are supposed to be under Palestinian civil control. 

We go to the West Bank, where Palestinian residents say they feel like they’re being encircled by settlers trying to take their land, sometimes violently.

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Ukraine’s defense forces have beaten back many types of Russian attacks during more than four years of war. But recently there has been a glaring weakness in their defenses: from Russian ballistic missiles. Those kinds of attacks are repelled by U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles. Ukraine is desperately short of them and even the U.S. supplies of Patriot missiles are dwindling. We go to Kyiv to hear what the shortage means for Ukraine.

And an extremely catchy German song has gone viral in part because its lyrical refrain sounds goofy to ears used to English. We learn about the positive message behind those lyrics.

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Seven months ago, Iran unleashed a deadly crackdown on protesters who were demanding an end to the 47-year-old theocratic regime. At least 7,000 people were confirmed killed over the course of two days, according human rights groups say, although they warn the death toll is likely closer to 20,000.  Those events were cited as one of the U.S. government’s justifications for going to war with Iran— a war that is still dragging on.

Internet blackouts and continued fear of government retribution have made getting a full picture of the crackdown difficult. We try to get a better understanding of the extent of the killings by hearing from some eyewitnesses.

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When residents of Venice, Italy, learned that a beloved, uninhabited island was being eyed for development, they organized to save it. A year on, this citizen brigade is transforming the island of Poveglia into a rare public green space. Locals are now able to wander its newly created paths. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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Firefighters have been working day and night to extinguish fires that have devoured more than 100,000 acres around Bordeaux. Cubans have historically looked to the U.S. to escape their country’s economic woes. But with legal immigration pathways to the U.S. narrowing, some Cubans are increasingly looking south — to Brazil.  Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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Veteran humanitarian official Julien Harneis will coordinate the U.N.’s response to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa. The United Nations also begins to choose its next secretary-general.

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Netflix’s The Polygamist, a Zulu-language drama from South Africa, has become a worldwide hit. The series about a wealthy family torn apart by a husband’s secret second life has drawn millions of viewers and sparked conversations far beyond the country’s borders.

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A single bacteria in a pregnant person’s microbiome can signal whether their baby is at risk for premature birth. Lower levels of a bacteria called Prevotella copriindicated a greater chance a woman would not carry her pregnancy to full term. Researchers in Pakistan called the discovery a “Eureka moment” for them.

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Thousands of years ago, people left what is now Taiwan on boats to roam and settle on islands throughout the Pacific. This summer a group of Indigenous Taiwanese modern-day voyagersdecided to recreate the journey in a large rowboat from one of Taiwan’s islands all the way to the Philippines in an effort to reconnect with their ancient seafaring heritage. We go to the island where they prepare for their journey.

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Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing a major political test this fall. After three years of war and growing public frustration, a former military chief is emerging as an unlikely challenger, offering voters a different vision for the country’s leadership. We look at how an outsider with deep security credentials is tapping into a desire for change — and what his rise could mean for Netanyahu’s political future.

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Swifts have nested in Jerusalem’s Western Wall since it was built over 2,000 years ago. But that ancient site is now surrounded by a modern city. And the birds are finding help adapting from an unexpected source: an Israeli paraglider.

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The U.S. and Iran have resumed striking each other for more that a week, ever since the collapse of a ceasefire deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan, the country that helped mediate the first ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is being asked to play the same role again. We look at how this peace role represents a remarkable turn of fortune for Pakistan.

And if Pakistan is able to negotiate a new ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, will Iranian hardliners allow it to go into place? Do they have the clout to stop it? We examine were hardliners fall in the current Iranian regime.

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The UK gets its seventh prime minister in the last decade. In a familiar ceremony, Keir Starmer, who was ousted by his own Labour Party tendered his resignation to King Charles at Buckingham Palace. The party’s new leader, Andy Burnham, was then given an audience with the King who invited Burnham to form a new government. We learn about Burnham, whose political career has been shaped by England’s North-South divide.

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The reasons given for the U.S. launching a war with Iran have shifted over time. But regardless of why the war started, the fighting between the U.S. and Iran is now largely over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, about a fifth of the world’s oil passed freely through the narrow international waterway. Now Iran controls the strait. We look at this threat to the freedom of navigation and whether it sets a a dangerous precedent for other waterways.

This episode is Global Affairs Correspondent Jackie Northam’slast story for NPR, she is retiring. Jackie has covered world events for NPR for decades from nearly every continent and just about every global conflict. You can hear Jackie reflecting on her remarkable career this recent episode of the Consider This podcast.

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The United States has been at war for more than 20 of the last 25 years. Afghanistan, Iraq and now Iran. Three major conflicts, all in the same region, and none of those conflicts have gone nearly as well as U.S Presidents said they would. We look at why the U.S. is so often at war and why it is finding them so hard to win.

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China’s northeast region borders Russian Siberia and North Korea. It’s a cold, vast area known for its gritty industrial history. But now the northeast is also the source of some of the country’s most popular music, literature, comedy and culture. And it’s come to represent both nostalgia for China’s past and apprehension for the country’s economic future. 

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Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California made a trip to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank last week. There he says he was stopped and not allowed to leave for over an hour by armed Israeli settlers and then Israeli soldiers. He says he was only allowed to continue after contacting the U.S. embassy in Israel. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee later called his trip a “stunt” and said Khanna went to a military-controlled area without prior clearance. Israeli officials have also countered Representative Khanna’s narrative. We hear about this incident from Congressman Ro Khanna himself. 

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One of the most sought after weapons in the world is the Patriot air-defense system, developed by the US. It is considered to be among the most effective air defense systems having been tested in war-time situations by countries from the Middle East to Eastern Europe. In a rare move, President Trump announced at a recent NATO summit that the US will share the technology with Ukraine. The problem is that the Patriot defense system is difficult to produce, so takes a long time to get production up to speed and it is expensive. We hear what this development might mean for Ukraine’s war with Russia from Seth Jones, he’s the President of the Defense and Security Department at Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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Speaking at a meeting of NATO, President Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is over, but he is open to negotiations. That statement came after days of renewed airstrikes between the two sides. We know President Trump wants a deal to help bring down oil prices ahead of midterm elections, Iran stands to lose out on billions of dollars without the deal. We hear about the stakes for Iran on the ceasefire collapsing.

We also hear from a retired U.S. four-star general on what the four months of war with Iran have meant for U.S. military readiness in the Middle East.

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The Gaza strip has been split in half ever since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect in October, 2025. Israel’s military occupies the east and 2 million Palestinians are squeezed into the remaining half along Gaza’s western coast. But in recent months, despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have been expanding their area of control, pushing deeper into Gaza. They now control at least 65% of the territory. We go to Gaza to understand Israel’s expanding line of control. 

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They’re called “cockroaches”, but the name itself is a dig at the political establishment. It is a political movement in India dominated by Generation Z. They’re demanding political reforms and accountability from the government of prime minister Narendra Modi. We go to New Delhi to understand this youth movement.

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As a meeting of NATO leaders begins in Ankara, Turkey we look at the alliance’s relationship at the top level, where messages of unity are challenged by anxieties about President Trump’s commitment to the alliance. And at the ground level, where the militaries of NATO countries conduct joint exercises off the coast of the U.S.

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Six years ago, the Chinese government imposed its national security law on Hong Kong which, among other things, restricted free speech and increased government surveillance on the former British territory. At the time officials said it would only affect a small number of people, but critics say it has transformed life in the city. We go to Hong Kong to see how it has changed.

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In the United States, a long holiday weekend over the 4th of July celebrates America’s 250th birthday. Recently, NPR’s correspondent in India found an unlikely place that same birthday is being marked. On the back of three-wheeled motorbike taxis known as rickshaws in New Delhi. We investigate.

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Thousands remain missing more than a week after the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela and hope for finding survivors is fading into and effort to recover remains. With little help from the government many families are taking it upon themselves to dig through the rubble to find their loved ones. We witness some these efforts on Venezuela’s northern coast.

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Exiled Russian journalist Vladimir Raevsky has used a well-known Russian fairy tale as the basis for his stand-up comedy. It’s called “the realm that never smiled” and it encourages Russian speaking audiences to laugh at their own history as a way to fight authoritarianism.

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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 300 people, putting it on track to become one of the deadliest incidents of Ebola in recent history. We go to the epicenter of the outbreak where overwhelmed clinics and a lack of protective gear leave health workers exposed

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The death toll continues to rise in Venezuela after twin earthquakes struck last week devastating coastal areas. The government says more than 1,700 people have been killed. Tens of thousands are still missing.

In today’s episode, we’re on the ground in Venezuela to get an understanding of the rescue effort. We’ll hear frustration at the Venezuelan government’s response which many consider slow and poorly coordinated. And we hear the hope of rescue crews and families who are still digging through rubble, looking for a miracle.

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As the world focused on the war with Iran, Israeli forces steadily took more territory in the Gaza Strip and killed more people last month than at any time this year, according to Gaza health records. More than one thousand Palestinians have been killed in the eight months since President Trump declared the war there was over.

We go to Gaza where civilians say they don’t feel safe anywhere, despite the ceasefire.

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Earthquakes have caused vast damage in Venezuela, catching residents by surprise in a place not accustomed to temblors. A state of emergency has been declared in Venezuela— a nation that was politically and economically fragile before this natural disaster hit. Rescue workers are searching buildings for survivors as help begins to arrive from nearby countries. We hear from people there and from scientists who say there are some unusual features about this event.

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An Ebola outbreak is spreading across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that health experts warn could become one of the largest Ebola outbreaks in recent years. In just over a month, Congo's Ministry of Health says more than 1,000 cases have been confirmed, and more than 250 people have died.
The outbreak was first detected in the gold-mining town of Mongbwalu, where health workers began noticing a cluster of mysterious illnesses and deaths earlier this year. By the time authorities officially declared an outbreak in May, the virus had already gained a foothold.

Since then, cases have been reported elsewhere in eastern Congo and across the border in Uganda. But Mongbwalu remains one of the outbreak's main hotspots. Health workers there are battling not only the virus itself, but also fear, misinformation, and deep mistrust of medical authorities.

We go to ground zero of this Ebola outbreak.

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In today’s episode we look at political shifts in two countries. In the U.K., the former mayor of Manchester, England, Andy Burnham, may soon replace British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation. Burnham would be the U.K.'s seventh leader in 10 years.

And in Colombia a sharp political turn from a president on the left to one on the far-right, backed by President Trump.

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Now that World Cup games have taken over nearly every television around the globe, today we bring you two stories of World Cup firsts in this year’s tournament. Uzbekistan is the first Central Asian country to appear in the tournament, and we go there to find that their achievement is not an accident and may be a sign of bigger changes underway.

And Iran is the first team to play in a host country it is at war with, but while their games are in the U.S., they are being forced to stay and train in Tijuana, Mexico. We go to that city to hear how Mexicans feel about the arrangement.

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India plans to build a major port, airport and town on pristine, remote Great Nicobar Island. Supporters say it could boost trade and jobs, but critics worry about environmental damage.

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Ukraine recently launched one of the biggest attacks on Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country began. Hundreds of long-range drones were sent towards the Russian capital.

This attack illustrates a paradigm shift in the conflict: Ukraine has seized the advantage even though Ukrainian forces are far outnumbered by the the Russian military. They’re doing it largely with drones, like the ones used to attack Moscow.

We’ll hear from our correspondent in Moscow about what was targeted and we meet one of the Ukrainian military units that conducts those kinds of drone strikes.

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We’re learning more about the deal between the U.S. and Iran that’s aims to end hostilities and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. It’s called a Memorandum of Understanding, and it’s a preliminary agreement to set up negotiations for a final deal. Major issues still need to be worked out in those negotiations like the fate of Iran’s nuclear program and lifting U.S. sanctions.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, President Trump said it’s a very strong deal. But he also threatened to continue bombing if he is unhappy about it’s implementation. But how do Iranians feel about this deal? We hear from hardliners, Iranians who oppose their government, and from a former diplomat who once represented Iran in nuclear talks.

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President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, are planning to develop a luxury resort on a beautiful stretch of Albania’s coastline. But there is a growing protest movement against the project, which is on public land and many Albanians view it as government corruption. And the identities some partners involved in the development are hard to find. We go to the Adriatic coast to learn more about the project.

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In eastern Congo’s Ituri province, a new Ebola outbreak is testing an already fragile health system. In the city of Bunia, hospitals are overwhelmed or shut down after suspected infections, while health workers race to contain the virus.

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Ukraine’s use of cutting edge drone technology is turning the tide in the war with Russia. And the latest breakthrough has been the use of drones that operate high-stakes missions on the ground. We meet one of the Ukraine military’s ground drone units near the front line.

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Soccer’s biggest event is officially underway as the 2026 World Cup kicked off in Mexico. The games will be played in Canada and the U.S. as well, but we go to Mexico City, the capital of the most soccer-obsessed host country, to hear about the jubilant atmosphere. And a Somali referee who was set to make history officiating the World Cup was denied entry to the U.S. He returned to Mogadishu to a hero’s welcome.

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A new report shows conflicts across the globe surged in 2025, reaching levels not seen since the Second World War. And violence against civilians reached new heights. We hear from one of the report’s authors and get an update on one of the flashpoints driving the increase in violence: the war in Sudan.

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North Korea hosted a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the first in nearly seven years. Though the two neighboring countries have had an alliance for decades, the meeting comes as North Korea has been prioritizing its relationship with Russia. We hear from our correspondents in Shanghai and Seoul about what this meeting means.

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Guadalajara is preparing for the World Cup with fan zones and celebrations, but the city is also the capital of one of Mexico’s most violent states. Families of the more than 130,000 people reported missing in Mexico continue to search for their loved ones, putting up posters and digging for remains, even as the world watches soccer’s biggest spectacle. We go to Guadalajara to here from families balancing hope, grief, and visibility.

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With ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at a virtual standstill due to the war in Iran, companies are scrambling to find new and alternative ways to move everything from oil to fertilizer to household goods. We look at how they’re doing it.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers questions from Congress about radical changes to the U.S. refugee program— a program that once had bipartisan support. We hear what was said about the revamped program

And as the start of The World Cup approaches, fans in Colombia are eager to see their national team return to the global tournament. But even as they are getting ready to put on their jersey to show support, the team’s colors are getting wrapped up in a political controversy. We go to Bogota, Colombia.


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People in Iran are back online after a government-imposed digital blackout that lasted nearly three months. We hear from Iranians that reconnecting has been bittersweet.

And a deadly strike during the first days of the Iran war hit far away in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, jolting a quiet seaside town and showing just how far the conflict’s reach extends.

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Raja Ampat is a collection of some 600 islands in Indonesia’s West Papua province. It is a beautiful area with clear blue waters and coral reefs that is mostly untouched by development except for the recent growth of a nickel mining industry that has split locals. We go to Raja Ampat and her from people who want mining jobs and those that want to protect the fishing and tourism in the area.  

You can see a stunning visual report about Indonesia’s nickel mining dilemma at NPR.org

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After the last few years of war, Israel controls adjacent territory in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Israeli officials say these areas are security buffer zones. But some in Israel want to permanently extend their country's borders, using the Bible as a map.

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Sri Lanka was careening from crisis to crisis, then came the Mideast war. People say they've got no buffer left.

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Mongbwalu, a once-thriving gold-mining town in eastern DRC, is now emerging as the epicenter of the country’s latest Ebola outbreak.

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In a West Bank spring where Palestinians used to rest and water their flocks, Israeli settlers now swim.

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In recent months, a number of fishermen in Ecuador say a U.S.-flagged vessel attacked them at sea and destroyed their boats. Their accounts come amid more than 50 U.S. maritime strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean that have killed nearly 200 people. The Trump administration says the operations are lawful and aimed at alleged narco-traffickers, but has not publicly provided evidence or identified victims. We meet fishing families trying to make sense of what they say happened, and the lives upended in its aftermath.

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Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic minority in China, that number in the millions. Human rights groups have accused China of persecuting Uyghurs because the government fears they have played a role in militant attacks. In today’s episode we hear the story of thousands of Uyghurs who travelled to Syria to gain battlefield experience fighting in the Syrian civil war. Are these people freedom fighters? Or are they the now battle-hardened militants China always feared?

This story was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. You can read more of this reporting at NPR.org.

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Climate change is making rainfall in Britain heavier and more erratic, meaning places that used to be dry are flooding regularly. So communities are reintroducing a creature that was hunted to extinction 400 hundred years ago. Beavers are working as little climate warriors, building their dams and reducing flooding. We meet some.

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The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency because of an outbreak of Ebola centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has so far likely killed over 130 people and sickened more than 600. The size of the new outbreak raises questions about whether there were delays in detection. We’ll hear about this outbreak and about the U.S. role in containing the last major instance of the virus spreading, in 2014.

Click here to read more reporting about this outbreak from NPR’s Global Health Team.

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Cuba’s government says the Caribbean island nation has run out of oil, following a months-long energy blockade by the U.S. in hopes of forcing political change. We hear about what might happen next for Cubans.

And the State Department is changing the way the U.S. diplomats talk about migration and refugees, embracing the "Great Replacement" theory promoted by white nationalists. 

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It has been more than four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a war that has been grinding on without major changes in battle lines, but the conflict may have reached a turning point. There are signs that Russians are growing weary of the military operation and Ukraine has improved its drone technology, hitting deeper inside Russian territory. We hear from NPR reporters in Kyiv and Moscow.

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President Trump’s recent decision to withdraw at least five thousand troops from Germany has sent shockwaves through a Bavarian town that, for decades, has hosted U.S. troops and may now lose its main source of revenue. We speak to residents.

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