State of the World from NPR

Since the rule of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad ended, Israel has attacked Syria hundreds of times. Israel says they don't trust the new government in Syria and so they are hitting areas in Syria adjacent to Israel in an effort disarm southern Syria. Our correspondent takes us to one of the Syrian villages on the border that was attacked. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

Following Israel declaring an end to the ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza last month, the Israeli military has called in reservists to return to war. However, this time fewer reserve troops are answering that call to go back into Gaza. Our correspondent in Tel Aviv talked to three officers who commanded troops in Gaza and who have become frustrated with military strategy. See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

Until very recently Sudan's capital, Khartoum, had spent nearly two years at war. A paramilitary group went to war with the Sudanese army, occupying the city until it was retaken by government forces in the last few weeks. This has meant massive life shifts for residents of Khartoum who have stayed in the city. One resident has been sending our correspondent regular voice notes telling him about w...

We heard a lot about the planning by U.S. national security officials for a bombing campaign against Houthi fighters in Yemen, because a journalist was added to their Signal group chat. That bombing campaign is ongoing and we haven't heard much about how it is going or its goals. Our national security correspondent tells us about what the U.S. military is doing in Yemen and how we're getting more...

The world is reacting to President Trump's announcement of new tariffs on nearly every country on the planet. The move is meant to re-shape the global trading order and some countries are being hit harder than others. NPR correspondents around the world are hearing anger, dismay, threats of retaliation and bewilderment. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d...

The new government in Syria, formed after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, is working to disband local militias to form one national army. But some groups are refusing to join. We meet one very well armed religious minority called the Druse. They say they're afraid of sectarian attacks from the new government and will not be giving up their weapons. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...

Sales of electric vehicles worldwide have been growing and the largest manufacturer of EVs is China's BYD. Their global revenue was over $100 billion in 2024, beating Tesla. To keep up that growth and to try to stave off the pain of U.S. tariffs, BYD is expanding in emerging markets. One of the markets where their cars are selling big is Brazil, where BYD is investing nearly a billion dollars in a...

During his campaign, President Trump promised to stem migration to the United States. And since taking office his administration has deported plane loads of people, some of whom were in the U.S. legally. Hundreds of deportees have been sent to prison in El Salvador. And President Trump has essentially closed the door to immigrants seeking to enter the country through the border with Mexico. These...

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is coming to an end. It is a holiday marked with fasting during the day and feasts with family in the evening. In Gaza, the month began with the hope of a continued peace but when the ceasefire with Israel collapsed, things changed. Our producer in Gaza brings us the sounds of this year's Ramadan in Gaza. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...

China has long been the world's factory, but it's economy is starting to face serious headwinds. Demand for Chinese goods has slumped, China is saddled with too much industrial capacity and heavy debt. And now a tariff war with the United States further darkens China's economic outlook. We have two reports on reactions to China's economic state. We hear how the Chinese government is encouraging bu...

The race is on for control over deposits of rare earth elements and critical minerals that are necessary in much of the technology we use today. The U.S. is lagging behind it's main rival in this global competition, China. We hear about why these resources are so sought after and the stakes in the race to control them. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...

For three years El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has proudly shown the world the terrible treatment given to the country's prisoners. The president and his defenders say barbaric treatment is necessary to combat a pervasive gang problem in the country. And now the U.S. is endorsing this view, sending hundreds of people removed from the U.S. to those same prisons. We hear about the triumph of B...

NPR has learned that Israel is considering a major ground invasion of Gaza to fully occupy the territory and establish a military rule over Palestinians there. We learn about this plan and hear about the influential minister who has repeatedly called for Israel to resettle the Gaza Strip. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has threated to collapse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government if t...

China scholars in the U.S. compare China's Cultural Revolution and current American dynamics, and see similarities between MAGA and what's called 'the China Dream.' 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

Recently a few hundred people gathered at a Damascus hotel to discuss how to jump-start Syria's tech industry. That sector was basically non-existent during Syria's long civil war. Our correspondent attended the conference and met a young man who fled Syria during the civil war and now is a graduate student at Stanford. His journey illustrates both the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead f...

The two month ceasefire in Gaza has come to an end with Israel conducting airstrikes, killing five Hamas officials along with over 400 others, including many children. The Israeli military has also restarted ground operations in Gaza, sending troops back to areas they had withdrawn from. They say they want Hamas to agree to a new ceasefire deal and release more hostages. But many Israelis are oppo...

President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia held a lengthy phone call on Tuesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. This is part of Trump's efforts to end the Russia's war in Ukraine and while he didn't get a ceasefire agreement, some progress was made. We hear the latest. And in Ukraine, people are watching these and other developments with concern, skepticism, and with dark h...

In Germany's national elections a few weeks ago, one statistic stood out to our Berlin-based correspondent: almost half of young German voters cast their ballot for either the far-right or far-left parties. And the divide between extreme left and extreme right in young people seems to fall along gender lines. We try to find out why it seems the youth in Germany are moving to the extremes. See pcm....

In Syria about a decade ago, while the Assad regime was focused on crushing an uprising that challenged its rule, it faced a problem. It had too many children in detention, who had been swept up when their mothers were arrested. An NPR investigation has found that hundreds of children were separated from family and placed in orphanages around Damascus by government intelligence agents. They ordere...

President Trump has derided aid the U.S. provides overseas as rife with fraud. His administration has moved aggressively to eliminate such funding including cancelling contracts already in progress. This is all being challenged in court but the effects are being felt acutely by those providing the aid on the ground in foreign countries. We hear from three providers in Africa. See pcm.adswizz.com f...

With the U.S. undertaking a tariff war with countries like China, India sees and opening. As goods from China sold in the U.S. get more expensive, India hopes to lure away manufacturers. But can they do that while avoiding being hit with U.S. tariffs themselves? We go to an Indian manufacturing hub to see what the strategy looks like. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...

In a part of Syria that had been a stronghold of deposed dictator Bashar Al-Assad, there has been a wave of violence against Alawites, the religious minority of the Assad family. Hundreds of Alawites have been killed and hundreds more have fled their homes in fear. The episode highlights the challenges the new government in Syria faces in uniting the country. But as we learn from an incident in a...

Mark Carney once lead the central bank of Canada and then was tapped to do the same job in England. So he knows a lot about government and finance but he has never held elected office. This weekend he was elected to be head of Canada's Liberal Party which means he'll soon be prime minister. We learn more about the man who takes the job at a time of strained relations with the U.S. And the Palestin...

In many parts of the world skin whitening is a major industry, but women in Nigeria have a particular fondness for creams and lotions that promise to lighten their skin. By one estimate, over 77% of women in the country have used such products. We go to Nigeria and learn that the effects of skin whiteners can be severe and many people who use them are unable to stop. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform...

Leaders of the European Union have voted to approve a plan to dramatically increase defense spending. The move is a reaction to the U.S. reducing its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia's invasion. We go to Brussels to understand the ramifications. And we hear what the series of recent developments in the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine could mean for peace talks with Russia. S...