State of the World from NPR

Russia's war in Ukraine is deepening divisions across Europe. One example is the Baltic nation of Latvia, formerly part of the Soviet Union. One third of those living in Latvia are Russian speaking and now some elderly residents, who may have lived there for decades, are being forced to prove their loyalty or leave. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

Iran laid the body of President Ebrahim Raisi to rest, after he died in a helicopter crash. Though thousands attended funeral ceremonies, we hear from Iranians who say he won't be remembered fondly. And in South Korea, a propaganda video from North Korea is banned after it goes viral on TikTok. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to...

After a long decline of the government in Haiti, gangs have seized complete control. A multi-national force is being sent to Haiti to restore the government to power, but their success is not assured. We go to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to see the challenges this international mission will face. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to man...

A new president in Taiwan was inaugurated this week. Lai Ching-te will now lead a Taiwan that is divided politically on many issues, including on how to confront China. We'll hear from our correspondent in Taipei and from some young Taiwanese preparing for mandatory military service. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage you...

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has announced he will seek arrest warrants for leaders of Hamas and of Israel for war crimes in Gaza. The U.S. has denounced the possible prosecution of Israeli leaders. We get response from a minister in Israel's government. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcas...

Iran's president, foreign minister and other officials have died in a helicopter crash. President Raisi was the top elected official in Iran and seen as a possible successor to the Supreme Leader, who has has ultimate power over the government. We'll hear the details from Iran and analysis of what happen next in Iran's government. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...

Ckunsa, an indigenous language in Chile, was declared dead 70 years ago. But groups in northern Chile are successfully reviving the language and teaching it to a new generation. 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

While Israel's government has strongly rejected the idea that the International Criminal Court could prosecute Israeli's accused of war crimes in Gaza, many in Israel say the military doesn't do an adequate job holding it's own soldiers accountable. Our correspondent looks into how the Israeli military polices itself. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates Se...

China, the country that once feared overpopulation, is now experiencing a falling birthrate. The government is encouraging its citizens to have children. We visit a "marriage market" where hopeful young people are looking for a match. 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 Pol...

Unexploded bombs and other ordinance are hidden throughout Gaza posing a threat to civilians now and they will continue to potentially kill long after the war is over. We hear about a victim of one of these munitions and of the challenges of removing such threats as civilians are fleeing fighting. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and...

Russia launched a surprise new offensive in northeast Ukraine, near the second largest city of Kharkiv. Russian troops are continuing to advance, we get the latest from our Ukraine correspondent. And in another development in that war, Russia's President Putin replaced the country's defense minister. We get context on both events from a retired U.S. Lieutenant Colonel who used to oversee European...

Prabowo Subianto will become the president of Indonesia in the Fall. Critics worry that the former general under a previous authoritarian government will roll back democracy. That presents a challenge for the U.S., which once trained and supported Prabowo, then subsequently banned him from entering the U.S. for twenty years. And a TV song contest in Venezuela in which every song is about the autho...

Ukraine uncovers what they say was a sophisticated network of spies working with Russia to kill President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top officials. And in Russia, during a celebration marking the USSR's victory over Germany in World War II, Russia's president again drew parallels between that fight against fascism and the war in Ukraine. We hear from Russians who attended the event. Sign up for...

Scams that target people via direct message and texts in an effort to steal money have become pervasive. But the scammer on the other end of the communication might be a victim too, in a human-trafficking scheme. We hear the story of one such victim. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences....

Mexico's general election will be held at the beginning of June and it will mark the end of a campaign season of record violence. Some thirty candidates have been assassinated in the past year. Our reporter goes to one of Mexico's most violent towns to talk to candidates who are brave enough to run for office. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journ...

Increasingly, Israelis and Palestinians are experiencing the war in Gaza in completely different ways. Critics charge Israeli media outlets with failing to cover the extent of civilian suffering in Gaza. And Palestinian news media is accused of downplaying the level of violence committed in the October 7th attacks on Israel. We hear from news consumers and journalists on both sides. For more cover...

As protests over the Israel Hamas war roil college campuses across the U.S., similar protests are happening elsewhere in the world. We hear from some of them. And a quirky festival in Colombia celebrates the donkey. 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

After months of delay in Congress, Ukraine is finally receiving the U.S. military aid it says is crucial in winning its fight against Russia. But after two years of war, what it means to win is increasingly complicated. We hear about the state of the conflict from our correspondent in Kyiv and our Pentagon correspondent. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

European countries that border Russia are concerned that they'll be invaded next if an emboldened Russia is successful in Ukraine, even though they're members of the NATO alliance. We go to the Baltic nation of Estonia and hear from people who are making preparations in case of invasion. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage...

Israel has been public with it's plan to conduct an assault on the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, absent a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Such a military operation could be catastrophic for more than a million Palestinian civilians there, many having fled there from fighting elsewhere in Gaza. We hear the voices of people who are weighing the risks of staying and wondering where they can go. Fo...

We take a look at China's economy as it has emerged from the pandemic experiencing slower growth than in years past. We hear that economic ties between the U.S. and China have loosened and that high unemployment among young people has meant far less optimism about the future. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcas...

Germany might be known for precision technology, but the government and many businesses still rely on that darling of the 90's— the fax machine! However, those chirpy, screeching tones may give way to modern technology by this summer. At issue is bureaucracy that some say is hurting the German economy. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists....

Newly approved military aid package goes to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel. We'll hear about what its impact on the battlefield will be. And in London, royal horses get loose during rush hour. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorsh...

As Israel's war against Hamas continues, children in Gaza are suffering. According to the United Nations, more than 25,000 children have been killed or injured since October. That's one child every ten minutes. We hear about one of those children, a twelve year-old boy injured in Gaza. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates See pcm.adswizz.com for information...

Two stories of how our reliance on GPS becomes problematic in regions experiencing war. In Ukraine, the power grid's use of GPS becomes a liability. And in the Middle East today, GPS "spoofing" causes a variety of issues from plane navigation to internet dating. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship...