PRI’s The World: Latest Edition

The Sednaya Prison complex in Damascus was synonymous with the Syrian government's reputation for brutality. Once inside, prisoners had little chance of coming out alive. Over the past week, thousands of families rushed to the prison in the hopes of finding their missing loved ones. Also, Ukraine needs more troops to fend off Russian invaders. The draft age in Ukraine was already lowered from 27 t...

South Korea's president says he'll "fight to the end." But he's facing calls from all sides to resign. And the opposition says it plans to move on a second impeachment measure. We have the latest from the South Korean capital, Seoul. Also, why Syria's new leaders are working to get punishing economic sanctions lifted as soon as possible. And, we meet a man who was trafficked by an organized crime...

Many Syrians who have lived in Turkey for years are eager to return home to Syria. But others say an evolving security situation and financial concerns are giving them pause. Meanwhile, governments across Europe have paused asylum applications submitted by Syrians. Also, a new report by the OECD finds that reading and math scores for adults in most of the world’s high-income countries have decline...

As many Syrians rejoice at the downfall of the former dictatorship in their country, Israel has been conducting numerous strikes on targets across Syria, reportedly destroying chemical weapons stores belonging to the former Assad regime. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes the stand in his long-running corruption trial, facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and taking bribes....

For the first time in two decades, Syrians say they are experiencing a taste of freedom after President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Also, a motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed over the weekend but many are still calling on him to resign. And, Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama has clinched a comeback election victory and will return to power seven years after step...

A top Romanian court has annulled results from the first round of the country's vote for president. The unprecedented ruling comes after the declassification of intelligence alleging that a Russian campaign had promoted the far-right winner. Our Europe correspondent has the latest. Also, a new directive from the Taliban bans women in Afghanistan from studying dentistry, nursing, and midwifery. And...

As a successful no-confidence vote topples the French government, a look at the political career of President Emmanuel Macron, whose presidency once signaled hope for change. Also, this week marks 40 years since the world's deadliest industrial disaster. The Bhopal gas leak originating at a pesticide plant in 1984 exposed 500,000 people in India to toxic vapors, killing thousands that night and le...

In South Korea on Wednesday, the streets were relatively calm after a night that many saw as the beginning of a coup d'état. That followed the president's controversial declaration of martial law. With the president now facing an impeachment effort by parliament, many Koreans are calm but concerned. Also, new research out of Canada shows that the company Amazon restricts access to books in Middle...

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a surprise televised announcement overnight imposing martial law, saying "North Korean forces" needed to be eradicated. Lawmakers quickly acted to cancel the emergency declaration, but the bitter political divide in the country remains unresolved. Also, a coalition of rebel forces in Syria is continuing its advance after capturing Aleppo, making its way...

Syria's anti-government rebels launched a massive offensive last week, taking most observers by surprise and gaining control over  the largest city, Aleppo. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has responded by conducting aerial attacks on Aleppo city and Idlib province. Also, the president of the International Criminal Court lashed out at the US and Russia for interfering with its investigatio...

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek began an epic walk in early 2013, tracing the first steps of human migration out of Africa some 60,000 years ago. The World brings you some of his stories and experiences in this Out of Eden Walk special — starting in Ethiopia and walking through the Holy Lands, Uzbekistan and India, to mention a few. He even shares some of the foods he's eaten along the w...

As families and friends gather for meals together on US Thanksgiving Day, The World brings you a show packed with a variety of food stories. From brewing banana beer to a cookbook filled with African dishes; from the battle over döner kebabs to a lawsuit over butter chicken and from a mushroom restaurant in Mexico to savory ice cream flavors in 18th century England, this special show will pique yo...

In the first day of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, we'll hear how people in Lebanon are feeling, as well as what analysts are seeing from military and diplomatic standpoints. Also, what's at stake for the Philippines in the wake of the vice president's public threat to assassinate the country's president? And, how mariachi singer Deyra Barrera ended up on the Kendrick Lamar album...

Mexico’s president has warned US President-elect Donald Trump against plans to slap large tariffs on the United States' three largest trading partners: Mexico, Canada and China. Also, Interpol's affiliate, Afripol, which is a union of African law enforcement agencies, has arrested more than a thousand suspected cybercriminals of various stripes in a continent-wide dragnet. And, thousands of suppor...

Officials at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, penned a new climate finance deal this weekend, with richer countries agreeing to pay $300 billion per year to help countries in the Global South cope with climate change. Also, Israel's ambassador to the US says that a ceasefire with Hezbollah could be implemented "within days." And, Nicaragua’s legislature appears set to approve a consti...

Police in Brazil say they've indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro — along with three dozen others — for allegedly planning a coup to keep Bolsonaro in power in 2022. Also, Albania will transform an Islamic Sufi order into a sovereign state. If all goes to plan, the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order will become the world's smallest state, just a quarter of the size of Vatican City, with its...

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu's office said these were "absurd and false accusations." Also, Iraq is getting underway with its first national census in decades — the results could have a big impact on the political direction of the country. And, a Scottish whiskey...

Public and private sector workers in Greece walked off the job to protest the rising cost of living. Public sector unions are demanding a 10% wage hike and the return of salaries cut during Greece's nearly decade-long financial crisis that began in 2010. Also the Biden Administration has agreed to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel landmines in an effort to slow the steady advance of Russia’s troo...

A proposed New Zealand bill redefining the country’s founding agreement with the Indigenous Māori has erupted into political turmoil, with protests all week culminating in a thousands-strong march on the capital of Wellington. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at the center of a multi-faceted investigation involving documents gathered using secret intelligence methods. And, global...

Revolutionary groups in Myanmar have been successful in battling the military junta that controls the central government. But China is not giving up on the regime. That's making it difficult for the rebels to topple the military rulers who seized power in a coup. Also, Ukraine now has a green light from the US to strike deep into Russian-held territory with long-range American weapons. And, we hea...

The World Health Organization has released a new study saying that an estimated 107,500 people died from measles in 2023, most of them under the age of five. Also, a look at the effectiveness of “blue zones.” And, some moments of joy and resilience amid the war in Gaza. Also, farmers in Spain try to convert olive pits into "bio-fuel.” Plus, a look at last night’s Latin Grammy Awards. Listen to tod...

Peru is inaugurating a huge commercial port built by China, which is expected to become a game changer in the region. Also, a new study finds that private aviation is booming, with flights often clustered around big international events — including climate summits. And, the Biden administration is set to begin sending US military contractors to Ukraine. Plus, a new AI bot whose job is to scam the...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration plans to send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before it leaves office so it can hold Russia's military forces at bay. Also, the Archbishop of Canterbury resigns after an investigation found he failed to report physical and sexual abuse at Christian summer camps. And, an American defense contractor whose employees worked as inter...

The list of “no shows” at the two-week COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan is long. Smaller countries, including island nations, most vulnerable to climate change are now trying to fill the leadership vacuum. Also, police in Italy say they have busted a major criminal art-forging network, recovering 2,100 fraudulent works peddled by the ring. And, a Dutch court has overturned a 2021 case that o...

Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has ousted leader Garry Conille after six months, naming businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as his replacement, but critics say the move may violate the country's constitution. Also, doctors in Lebanon say they have seen a sharp increase in premature births and miscarriages as strikes from Israel intensify. And, experts sent by the UN Security Council lande...