PRI’s The World: Latest Edition

Voters in Ecuador will head to the polls for general elections this weekend. The next president will face the enormous task of dismantling well-funded and powerful organized crime groups in the country as well as restoring trust in government and fix an economy in crisis. Also, the Trump administration is using military planes to deport migrants to Latin America, and regional leaders are expressin...

Advancing the human rights of LGBTQ people around the world was part of the Biden administration's policy agenda. The point person for that effort was Jessica Stern, a US special envoy. She left the job with the changing of the guard at the White House, and President Donald Trump is not expected to fill the position. On Thursday, in her first interview since stepping down, Stern reflects on her ti...

Negotiations for the phase two of the ceasefire deal for Gaza are underway. The vision for this phase has been for Hamas and Israel to work out details surrounding the release of the remaining hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. But controversy surrounding comments from US President Donald Trump during Tuesday's visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only increa...

Panama has become the first Latin American nation to pull out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It’s also weighing whether to cancel its contract with the Hong Kong-based company that operates near the Panama Canal. An adviser to the US Institute for Peace says that it's all part of the long rivalry between the US and China in Latin America. Also, Syria's new interim president is traveling to T...

Claudia Sheinbaum was able to postpone tariffs from the US for a month. In the meantime, Canada's Justin Trudeau has promised to impose tariffs of his own, urging Canadians to buy local. We look at how leaders from the US' closest neighbors are handling the new administration's trade moves. Also, a showdown in Toronto over bike lanes. The city built new infrastructure for cyclists during the pande...

Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa was declared the country’s transitional president on Wednesday. The former rebel leader addressed Syrians directly yesterday and called for justice and elections following a transitional period. Also, 10 days into President Donald Trump’s administration, the US southern border remains closed to asylum-seekers, and many are now considering ditching the Americ...

Argentina’s president reverses a law that established femicide as a crime. Also, a new report shows that the majority of young people in the UK would prefer to live in a dictatorship, and many of them also want the army to be in charge. And, the Israeli government has banned the UN's Palestinian aid agency, UNRWA, from operating in Israel land in East Jerusalem. Plus, Spanish guitarist Antonio Rey...

A deadly stampede interrupts celebrations at a Hindu festival in northern India, leaving dozens of people dead. Kumbh Mela is the world’s largest religious gathering, where upwards of 400 million pilgrims gather at the confluence of two rivers for sacred rituals. Also, US-funded assistance programs across the globe are reeling after the Trump administration freezes most foreign aid. And, scientist...

Mexico has started constructing giant tent shelters in border towns where people deported by the US can get food, temporary housing, medical care and free bus rides back to their hometowns. The program is called  "Mexico embraces you" — and although it's intended for Mexican deportees, the country's President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government will consider sheltering migrants from other nation...

Royalty, heads of state and dignitaries from more than 50 countries gathered in southern Poland today to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Also, a solid gold helmet on loan from Romania was stolen in a dramatic museum heist in the Netherlands. And, the US has frozen nearly all foreign aid while the Trump administration reviews where the aid should go. Plus, Rema's is hoping...

In the days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect, people in Gaza have begun returning to the neighborhoods they'd fled — only to find total devastation. Also, how Canada is preparing for US tariffs, from the highest levels of government to the individual Canadian household. And, the latest on an oil spill in Russia, that's been called the worst environmental catastrophe of...

Syria's economy under the previous government was tightly managed by former President Bashar al-Assad, his family and close associates. But now, Syria's new government is looking to introduce economic reform to further liberalize Syria's economy, which remains heavily sanctioned by the US and Europe. Also, in most cities, transit systems are government-run. But in Japan, that’s not the case. The n...

On the campaign trail, US President Donald Trump promised to end wars, worldwide, starting in Ukraine. As his administration's Cabinet takes shape, we'll look at his appointees' records to get a deeper understanding of the Trump administration's approach to that conflict. Also, three new laws passed by Iraq’s parliament could effectively legalize child marriage, according to critics. And, what the...

Israel's military is conducting raids in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. Israel is seeking to flush out armed Palestinian factions in the area. This comes as some 90 Palestinians prisoners were released from Israeli prisons following a ceasefire deal in Gaza with Hamas. Also, Denmark has announced plans to rethink a parenting competency test that has earned heavy criticism for using Danish c...

President Donald Trump laid out foreign policy promises, goals and predictions during his swearing-in ceremony as he assumes another term in office. Also, the UN says 630 aid trucks have entered Gaza since the start of the ceasefire deal over the weekend between Israel and Hamas. And, the Ankole cattle of western Uganda are now considered an endangered breed as farmers switch to other imports such...

Israel's security Cabinet has okayed a ceasefire deal with Hamas. But some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet have threatened to resign and the future of his government remains in the balance. Also, authorities around the world are trying to crack down on AI-generated images of child sexual abuse. And, the most-beloved sport in Canada — hockey — is getting an update. This year,...

Palestinians and Israelis react to a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Also, Indonesia rolls out a massive new free meal program for school children to help reduce stunting and poverty in the country, improve educational outcomes and increase farmer incomes. And, efforts are underway to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in the global maritime shipping industry. Plus, American TikTok u...

After months of back and forth, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal. Also, Yoon Suk Yeol becomes South Korea's first sitting president to be placed under arrest. And, the outcome of the standoff between miners and police in South Africa. Plus, the voice behind Japan’s bullet train announcements. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

A trial is underway this week in South Korea's Constitutional Court that could remove the country's president from office. Also, Mexico sends a team of firefighters to California to help battle the wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles. And, the trip in fishing boats from Morocco's western Atlantic coast to Spain's Canary Islands is just the final leg of a long, harrowing trip that c...

Ukraine’s military says it captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia over the weekend. Around 10,000 North Koreans are believed to be fighting on behalf of Russia. Also, rolling blackouts are wreaking havoc on daily life in Iran. And, Sudan's armed forces have captured the city of Wad Madani, marking a significant blow to the Rapid Support Forces. Plus, members of Afghanista...

The world is on the threshold of failing to reach an important climate goal to stop the global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. It was the most ambitious climate goal in the Paris Agreement, but it's unclear if failure is official, or just imminent. Also, with the devastating fires in Los Angeles still raging, we hear about an interesting fire warning system that was develope...

A state funeral for Jimmy Carter is being held on Thursday in Washington. When the 39th US president was sworn into office in 1977, he pledged to elevate human rights in American foreign policy. We look into that legacy. Also, the last time Japan’s army came to the Philippines in big numbers was during World War II, amid an invasion that left the country in ruins. That was 80 years ago. Now, the P...

European leaders are alarmed about what they see as foreign election meddling. It's coming from Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on Earth and a close adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump. Musk has been using his global social media megaphone to promote far-right politicians in Europe, like the Alternative for Germany (AFD) party, which has been named an extremist group by Germany's own intellig...

In Chinese-controlled Tibet, rescue workers are still digging through rubble after a powerful earthquake near Mount Everest. The rescue operation is complicated by altitudes averaging around 13,000 feet in the area. Also, an archaeologist and former professor at Damascus University returns to the Syrian capital for the first time since fleeing in 2006. We hear personal reflections about what the h...

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a public announcement — sharing his plan to resign following a massive decline in support and a high profile resignation from his Cabinet. Also, the Biden administration is making its final push for a ceasefire in Gaza before Donald Trump reassumes the White House two weeks from now. And, many Ukrainians are turning to poetry as a symbol of patriotism an...