State of the World from NPR

As Israel and Iran continue missile attacks against one another, we look at how countries in the Middle East are viewing the conflict. Whether that war could spread and if other powers in the region are bracing for a wider conflict. And we hear from some residents of Tehran weighing the decision of fleeing the Iranian capital as President Trump commanded or staying and taking their chances. See pc...

Though low tech, table top war games can give experts an understanding of how a real-world conflict could play out. With increased global instability there is increased demand for these exercises, even among those with access to classified information. We watch one such war game. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your po...

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says Iran is "marching very quickly" toward a nuclear weapon. The U.S. intelligence community says Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program decades ago. We hear from two NPR correspondents who are watching this very closely to find out who is right. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage you...

The war between Israel and Iran shows no signs of slowing down. There were traffic jams in Tehran with people fleeing after President Trump suggested on social media everyone there evacuate. We talk to a longtime Iran analyst about where the war might go and what the U.S. role in the conflict might be. And we go to the neighboring countries in the region to see how people are reacting to missiles...

For days Israel has been attacking Iran with airstrikes, which they say is an effort to degrade Iran's nuclear capabilities. Iran has been responding by firing missiles at Israel. We'll hear what has been hit and what targets may be next. And we compare the two countries' ability to defend against these types of attacks. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

Commissioned by Napoleon, the opulent Opera Garnier is named after its architect, Charles Garnier. Garnier rose from the Paris slums to design one of Europe's most celebrated venues. Opera Garnier eventually became the inspiration for the novel and musical, "Phantom of the Opera." See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your p...

Pakistan and India traded cross-border military strikes in May, a four day flare-up in a long running conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries. Among the significant developments in the brief conflict was the first time a Chinese made fighter plane saw combat. Our correspondent in Mumbai says that debut might have a long term impact. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

A new powerful group has risen in Gaza and they are being armed by Israel. The militia calls itself "The Popular Forces" and they are presenting themselves as a counter to Hamas' rule of the territory. Our correspondent tells us what we know about this new armed power. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec...

The United States hosts many students and scientific researchers from the world's two largest countries, India and China. The U.S. is seen as one of the best places to get and education and on the cutting edge of innovation. But a series of moves by the Trump administration, including greater scrutiny of those applying for student visa and, in the case of China, threats to revoke some visas, are m...

Amid Israel's expanding war in Gaza and its restrictions on aid entering the territory it's getting harder and harder for civilians to find enough to eat. A U.N.-backed report warns half a million people in Gaza are facing starvation. We hear what life is like there for a mother and her eight children. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorshi...

President Donald Trump has issued a new travel ban, barring travelers from 12 countries and partially restricting travelers from seven others from coming to the U.S. We hear from reporters in Asia, Latin America and Africa to hear how targeted countries might be affected. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sp...

Since the war against Hamas in Gaza began, there have been protests in Israel pressuring the government to end the war so that the hostages being held there can be released. But lately, as the number of casualties in Gaza mount and food entering the territory has been restricted, it is becoming less taboo to speak out about the plight of Palestinians. We go to one protest. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

After being on opposite sides of Syria's war, former regime firefighters and members of the White Helmets in a Damascus firehouse are learning to trust each other and work side-by-side. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Representatives from Russia and Ukraine gather for peace talks in Istanbul. The meeting comes after the two countries each launched large-scale drone attacks on one another over the weekend, including an audacious Ukrainian strike on Russia's bomber aircraft fleet. We hear the latest from the talks and about how Ukraine's drone capabilities have evolved. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...

Russians remember the longtime artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, who died recently. Yuri Grigorovich held the position for the last three decades of the Soviet Union and staged productions that were wildly popular at home and projected soft power overseas. And in Nepal, people have complained of monkey's stealing food from their property for years. Now, the government is holding its first-e...

Germany's biggest opposition political party, the nationalist and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, has been designated "extremist" by the country's domestic intelligence agency. That means the German government can tap party members' phones and hire informants to monitor them, in a measure meant to ensure that the party is not a threat to democracy. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and...

The civil war in Sudan has been ongoing for more than two years causing some fifteen million people to be displaced and the collapse of the country's healthcare system in many places. In the capital Khartoum, there were once nearly 100 public and private medical facilities, now none are operational. We go to Khartoum to see how residents are coping with the lack of medical care. See pcm.adswizz.co...

Colombians suffered through a decades-long guerilla war in which hundreds of thousands died. According to the country's truth commission , approximately 80% of those killed were civilians. Now some former army soldiers accused of atrocities during the war are trying to make amends. They are helping to locate and exhume the remains of innocent civilians executed by the Colombian military. We go to...

Throughout the more than three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, drones have been a key tool and weapon used by both sides in the conflict. Because of this, Ukraine is at the cutting edge of drone innovation, churning out some two million unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, last year. These flying drones come in all sizes and they're produced in factories large and high-tech, as...

By some estimates, some 90% of murders in Mexico go unpunished. But when a woman in Mexico kills an abusive partner, many of them do end up in jail convicted of "excessive use of legitimate force". Mexican singer-songwriter Vivir Quintana started looking into the issue and found compelling, tragic tales. We speak to Quintana about her new album which tells the stories of some of these women. See p...

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says he's "outraged" at at the leaders of the UK, France, and Canada for condemning Israel's new military offensive in Gaza. He sat down with NPR to express the U.S. view of the conflict as pressure on Israel from around the world is mounting, not just for the new offensive in Gaza but also for restricting food aid to the territory. For more coverage of all...

There's been a political backlash in India after the Trump administration deported dozens of Indian migrants who were in the U.S. without legal status. This comes after the U.S. had announced 26 percent tariffs on India, which are currently suspended. Those events have changed Indian's perceptions of what they had thought was a cozy relationship with the U.S. and have cause a headache for the Indi...

Israel has begun a new ground operation in Gaza in which it says it plans to take territory and hold it. Palestinians are fleeing the intense bombardment. At the same time, Israel and Hamas are holding peace talks. And Israel says it will start allowing food and medicine into Gaza after a nearly three month blockade to pressure Hamas to release hostages. We hear the latest in the new offensive and...

Determination and New Life in a Besieged Ukrainian City - a visit to a maternity ward in Slovyansk, a city that's endured over a decade of Russian assault and oppression. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump Administration has a new plan for delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has blocked all food, fuel and medicine for more than ten weeks, accusing Hamas of stealing aid meant for civilians. The U.S. says their plan will address those concerns, but experts worry the plan could set a bad precedent. We learn more. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...