State of the World from NPR

Hundreds of Nepalese have travelled to Russia to join the army. They've been lured by the promise of employment and Russian citizenship. Some say they were told they wouldn't be doing risky jobs, but once they arrive they say they were sent to the front line to fight in Ukraine. Reporter Shalu Yadav went to Nepal and spoke to families of those who died fighting in Ukraine. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

Ghana began encouraging people of African descent from around the world to move to the country in 2019, calling it the "Year of Return". They even created settlements for the people who took them up on the offer, giving out free land. But our correspondent talks to locals who say their farm land was stolen to give to foreigners. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

Israel's Prime Minister has vowed to fight until the "definitive victory over Hamas". But what is actually achievable? Our correspondent in Tel Aviv examines what it will take for Israel to declare mission accomplished in Gaza, and end the war. And Uber is trying to win over cab drivers in London, who have resisted the company for years. We talk to cabbies to see if they might succeed. See pcm.ads...

Inside China, the state is cracking down queer and feminist groups... so some are staging their own events in New York City. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

Greece says Britain should return sculptures taken from the Acropolis and a Turkish archeological dig uncovers Roman churches, temples, and canals. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collecti...

Two stories about Africa's art and music. We hear from a rapper who raises awareness of the war in Sudan. And attend an influential art festival in Lagos. 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

A Ukrainian village with divided loyalties reels from both the loss of life following a missile attack and the loss of trust in their community. 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

NPR's Eyder Peralta brings exclusive reporting from Nicaragua, which has become one of the most authoritarian countries in the Western Hemisphere, and bars foreign journalists. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for i...

Hollywood left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. However, improbably, Barbie was a huge hit in the country. Our correspondent in Moscow examines the phenomenon. 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

Surviving climate threats demands adaptation. In Bangladesh, an engineer and a housewife improvised their own early warning system for historic floods. And villagers in Pakistan are revisiting an old tradition of growing their own glaciers. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to your local NPR membe...

We visit Guedelon Castle in Burgundy, France. A 26 year-old building project, dedicated to training workers in medieval construction techniques and teaching visitors about history. 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

German economists and politicians have warned German companies to not rely so heavily on Chinese businesses, advocating "de-risking". We go to Germany's industrial heartland where business leaders have found that advice hard to follow. 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 Po...

Ukraine is been at war for nearly 22 months, with airports closed and many sea ports blockaded. Yet NPR's Nathan Rott has found sushi in the country is widely available. And, he says, that says something about the supply chain and the resilience of the Ukrainian economy. Support the NPR Network by joining State of the World+ or by giving a tax-deductible donation . And thank you! See pcm.adswizz.c...

U.S. officals have been increasingly public in their appeals to Israel to limit casualties in Gaza, but so far nothing has changed. So what does this say about the relationship between the U.S. and Israel now? We hear from a retired diplomat with long experience in the region. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podca...

Even as Ukraine continues to battle Russia, funding from the West is in doubt. We hear from some Ukrainians who are nervous about the funding. And the former Soviet state of Georgia has been partially occupied by Russia since 2008. We hear about Georgia's delicate balance between Russia and the West. Support the NPR Network by joining State of the World+ or by giving a tax-deductible donation . An...

China is at an inflection point. The country that enjoyed decades of growth, confident that the future was bright, has experienced a shift in the vibes. Our correspondent in Beijing illustrates what this looks like by bringing us stories from 4 people living in China today. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast...

A government program in Russia offers pardons to prisoners convicted of serious crime who agree to fight in Ukraine, if they survive. The policy has serious consequences for victims of crimes and their families. We hear more from our correspondent in Moscow. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to yo...

Though Israel's goal in Gaza is to eliminate Hamas as a military threat, there appears to be rising popularity for Hamas among Palestinians in the West Bank. We travel there and hear that many Palestinians don't believe Hamas committed atrocities in the October 7th attack. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . See pcm.a...

Nearly two years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine is building its tech industry as a part of its war effort and as a means of rebuilding its economy. 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 sponsorship and to manage your podcast...

There is a fierce battle between Israeli forces and Hamas in the city of Khan Younis in Gaza. The battle is coming close to the city's main hospital. We hear dispatches from Khan Younis. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org See pcm.adswizz...

A vote in the Polish parliament ended the rule of a right-wing political party— an historic power shift in the country, which is a key US ally and NATO member. A movie studio plans to use artificial intelligence to recreate the voice and image of iconic late French cabaret singer Edith Piaf. Super-fans in her neighborhood aren't so sure machines are up to the task. Sign up for State of the World+...

The British government is pushing forward with a controversial plan to deport undocumented migrants, no matter where they've come from, to the central African country of Rwanda. 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

Israeli forces have traded artillery and rocket fire with Hezbollah, a militia backed by Iran that operates in Lebanon. We hear the voices of people living on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org Se...

Russia has made it a practice of attacking electrical infrastructure in Ukraine over the winter with missiles and drones. We hear about Ukraine's preparations for these attacks and how they'll be put to the test. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org . And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to statio...

Once again at COP28, the annual global climate summit, experts are warning of the dire consequences of the world ignoring a warming planet. But this year that message is being delivered in the United Arab Emirates, a country that is dependent on oil and gas. Our correspondent based in Dubai is at the conference and talks about that tension. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...