PRI’s The World: Latest Edition

Clashes have broken out this week in Syria between government security forces and militias inside Syria's Druze community. Israel launched airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday, claiming they targeted operatives who attacked Druze civilians. Israel has threatened more strikes if the clashes continue. We hear from people on the ground, in Syria, who have been affected by the violence. Also, Romania's up...

The work to choose a new pope begins next week with the secretive Papal Conclave. One of Pope Francis' lingering legacies that will need to be addressed: the late pontiff's efforts to reform the Vatican's less-than-transparent finances. Also, Maria Ressa is the Nobel Prize-winning journalist behind the investigative news site, Rappler, based in the Philippines. Her work made her a political enemy...

Fifty years ago on Wednesday the fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War. Most Americans think of that war as one of the longest and most unpopular conflicts in US military history. But in Vietnam, it is being celebrated as the end of a much longer struggle for liberation, which predates US involvement by several decades. We examine both of those legacies. Also, what it would mean for Ukr...

In Canada, election results mark a reversal of political fortunes. The Liberal Party's victory in Monday's federal election follows a long slump in popularity. But the Trump administration's trade policies and rhetoric concerning Canada have driven a shift in the country's political landscape. The election results are widely being seen as a mandate for how Canada should respond to Trump. Also, ins...

A major power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday, shutting down transit and causing major gridlock in both countries. The two governments met to discuss the outage, the cause of which was not immediately known. This is the biggest power outage on the European continent since 2003. Also, a massive explosion in an Iranian port killed at least 40 people over the weekend and injured hundreds o...

India has suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a major water-sharing agreement with Pakistan, following a recent attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Also, more than 1,800 international students have seen their immigration statuses changed by the US government, prompting some to wonder if they should stay in the US or leave. And, US Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) discusses his re...

Qatar has brokered talks between the government of Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group, which is backed by Rwanda, to agree to common terms for a dialogue that includes a ceasefire. Also, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum bans foreign political ads on Mexican TV after a wave of anti-immigration spots sponsored by the Trump administration airs nationwide.  And, as Spain's Catalon...

Canadians will head to the polls on Monday to vote for a new prime minister. The country is expecting a large turnout, with more than 7 million people already having cast their ballots over the long Easter weekend. Also, a look at Pope Francis as both a head of state and a spiritual leader. And, Jordan places a ban on the Muslim Brotherhood. Plus, a gated community in Argentina is divided over a s...

As questions emerge over the succession of Pope Francis, some are looking to Africa, where the Catholic Church has seen the most growth of any region in recent years. Also, a group of gunmen open fire at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 20 tourists and injuring dozens more. And, the Supreme Court in Brazil is examining the role that allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro...

Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Also, the Israeli military says an “operational misunderstanding” led to the killing of 15 unarmed Palestinian medics last month. And, a Tunisian court hands down harsh prison sentences to political opponents of the country's president as the country backslides on democracy. Plus, runners from around the world take part in the Boston Maratho...

Chinese President Xi Jinping is wrapping up a tour this week of Southeast Asia where he has been selling the idea of China as a force for economic stability and prosperity. He has also criticized President Donald Trump's trade policies as destructive to the global economy. We'll look at how that message is being received. Also, Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in the the electric vehi...

As Haiti celebrates 200 years of independence from France, Thursday marks a particularly fraught anniversary. On April 17, 1825, Haiti and France signed the Indemnity Agreement, requiring Haiti to pay France to compensate slave-owning colonists for Haitians' freedom. Now, Haitian activists want their money back. Also, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is headed to Paris to discuss the war in Ukrai...

A federal court in Denver has found a former member of Gambia’s military guilty of torturing five people accused of involvement in a failed coup against the West African country in 2006. This constitutes a rare prosecution in the United States for torture committed abroad. Also, the UK's Supreme Court passed a ruling on the meaning of the word "woman" as used in the country's Equality Act from 201...

Tuesday marks two years since civil war broke out in Sudan. Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has created an immense humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced, and hundreds of thousands facing famine. A look at how things reached this point in Sudan, and where the country is headed. Also, Mexican border cities like Tijuana are emptying out as migrants...

This past weekend, Iran and the US held their first round of talks about Iran's nuclear program. Both sides described the talks as "positive" and "constructive." The two delegations will convene in Rome for a second round of talks later this week. Also, Tijuana's uphill battle to keep its waterways and beaches free of sewage and pollution. And, the existential threat faced by two of France's most...

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez becomes the de facto trade representative for much of Europe, on a visit to China. And white storks arrive in Europe every spring, and they're starting to arrive earlier. Experts say that's because of climate change. Plus, why historic homes in Iran are being turned into boutique hotels, restaurants and cafes. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about...

The US and Russia carried out a prisoner swap earlier today, resulting in the release of US citizen Ksenia Karelina. Also, hippos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are dying of a surprising cause: anthrax. And, a look into the struggle to get aid into earthquake-devastated Myanmar. Plus, a Japanese town is using trading cards inspired by Pokémon to build connection between generations.  List...

President Donald Trump has paused his sweeping new tariffs, with one exception: those levied on China. Beijing is retaliating by hitting US goods back. How Chinese leadership sees the escalating trade war. Also, how new banana products could help transform agriculture in Uganda. And what exactly makes Jamaican rum Jamaican? Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

The Palestinian Red Crescent is demanding an international investigation into the Israeli attack last month on a convoy of ambulances and emergency workers in southern Gaza that killed 15 people. Also, Sussex University in the UK is offering a new degree called Climate Justice, Sustainability and Development. And, the US and DRC close in on a new minerals deal. Plus, a look at how collaboration in...

Heavy US tariffs against much of the world will kick in on Tuesday at midnight. Few will be hit has hard as Cambodia — where nearly a third of the country’s economy is generated by selling goods to Americans — as Cambodian exports to the US are set to face a 49% tariff. Also, Doctors Without Borders reports that 1/5 of all primary care visits in Gaza deal with illness caused by a lack of access to...

South Korea's Constitutional Court unanimously voted to remove President Yoon Suk-yeol from office. This after months of deliberation following Yoon's declaration of martial law. But although the court has made its decision, experts say the turmoil and political polarization that have erupted in South Korea over the last few months, aren't going anywhere. Also, in Ghana, a meningitis outbreak is r...

Sweeping new tariffs on imports to the US amount to a tectonic shift in trade policy, one that critics say undermines norms around globalization that delivered prosperity to the US and its trading partners. Also, Hungary has begun proceedings to leave the International Criminal Court. And, a huge chunk of ice broke off of Antarctica, revealing a thriving ecosystem in the waters underneath. Listen...

The ceasefire which had halted fighting between Israel and Hamas for two months seems long ago and far away. On Wednesday, Israel announced a major expansion of its military advance in Gaza, vowing to seize ‘large areas’ of land and displace residents. Also, President Donald Trump is trying to initiate talks with Iran about the country's nuclear program, but his goals for the talks have not been s...

As Myanmar ramps up its response to the earthquake that struck last week, those efforts are being complicated by the country's civil war. The military government has been blocking emergency aid from entering areas controlled by armed resistance movements. That's leaving earthquake-stricken areas deprived of doctors, medicine, and bare necessities like food and water. Also, South Korea is reckoning...

In Myanmar, the official death toll continues to climb three days after a devastating earthquake, but still reflects only a fraction of the number of deaths estimated by the United States Geological Survey. The challenges are now compounded by the country's civil war, as government forces launch air strikes against resistance fighters near the epicenter of the quake. Also, French far-right politic...