State of the World from NPR

NPR recently met with a senior Hamas leader on the outskirts of Doha, Qatar as the organization prepares to negotiate the next stage of the Gaza ceasefire. He says Hamas is willing to lay down its weapons for up to ten years. Our correspondent gives us the highlights of the conversation. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage...

Physical maps might feel out of date in our smartphone and GPS age but maps aren’t just for navigation. They are windows into history, culture and how we perceive the world. We visit a map library in Maine to see what maps can tells about the planet and ourselves. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorshi...

Life for Russians has changed in myriad ways since the start of the full scale war in Ukraine in 2022. It has affected everything from what they can say to what they can buy. But perhaps the most far reaching change is in what Russians learn. Our correspondent in Moscow tells us about a new undercover documentary that shows the changes to Russian schools. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

The mayor of a city in the state of Michoacan, Mexico launched a full-frontal assault on organized crime in his community. Last month he was assassinated by a lone gunman. His death has lead to a protests across Mexico and calls for more to be done to combat drug cartels and corruption.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage...

Even as Ukraine is engaged in high stakes peace talks with the U.S. and Russia, the country is dealing with a massive corruption scandal which has reached very high levels of the government. Though President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been implicated, it has been a challenge for him. We go to Kyiv to get reaction from Ukrainians.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use o...

Today’s episode explores a pair of business stories in China that may be unexpected. We hear about the robust service industry springing up as young people in China increasingly choose having pets over having children. And we go to the Chinese town where nearly all of an iconic Russian handicraft are actually produced. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...

Americans' most loved Italian food staple could soon double in price or disappear from U.S. supermarket shelves following tariffs imposed by the Trump administration that could go into force from January. Our reporter in Rome explores why the tariffs are being applied and what it could mean for Italian producers and U.S. consumers. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use o...

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow this week to present the revised Ukraine peace proposal. We’ll hear how they were received. And Marco Rubio won’t attend a NATO meeting of foreign ministers about Ukraine, the first time in more than 20 years the U.S. Secretary of State won’t be at such a meeting. We’ll get reaction from Europe. And we’ll hear from a former U.S. ambassador...

During the over two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, there has also been violence in the other Palestinian Territory— the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation for decades. There have been waves of attacks by Israeli settlers, some of which have been deadly. And arrests of residents, which Israel says is for its own security. Israel has also been quietly redistricting th...

A month ago, Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a category five— one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall in the Atlantic. Scientists agree that Melissa was made stronger by climate change. We meet some Jamaicans that are wondering how to rebuild smarter for the possibility that another powerful storm may hit in the future.    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...

In this encore episode we look at the decision to have children. Much of the attention on the world's plunging birth rate is on east Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. But Latin American countries, like Chile, are also seeing a decline in fertility. We go to Chile’s capital to understand the personal decisions behind the countries plummeting birth rate trend. See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

In this encore episode, we take a look at keepsakes. Clearing out a closet, attic or garage can be a chore. Old photographs, clothes and books can create clutter, or take up space that’s sometimes needed for something else. But every so often, the heirlooms or mementos that you find retain some value: if that’s emotional value, it can be hard to part with them. If it’s financial, that can make it...

German surfers are not stoked after one of the world’s largest inland waves, in a river in Munich, disappeared following a city dredging project. Now the community is uniting to bring it back. Our correspondent investigates. 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

In China, two economic realities exist side by side. The country's fast-growing technology sector leads the world in some aspects, yet prospects for the average Chinese worker remain dim. We take a look at both sides of the economic picture. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Priv...

Top U.S. and Ukrainian officials said they are making progress toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war. But European allies feel they've been left out of the plan, which they say placates Russia. We get reaction from Ukrainians on the state of negotiations and from a German diplomat on what the plan is missing See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for spons...

During the more than decade-long civil war in Syria, millions were displaced in the country and millions more fled abroad as refugees. It’s been almost a year since the war ended and many Syrians are starting to come home. Some have found their houses destroyed but others have found strangers have been living in their homes, sometimes for years. We go to Syria to see how locals are dealing with th...

Venezuela's leaders are under increasing pressure as U.S. warships stage off the South American country's Caribbean coast. The region is on edge as the U.S. weighs military action. We look at Venezuela’s President Nicholas Maduro’s ability to stay in power over the years and we hear from Venezuelans on the border with Colombia about what they think of the situation. See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...

The U.N. climate conference is being held this month in Brazil. The U.S. is conspicuously absent, but China is there. We look at how these two countries are taking opposite paths on renewable energy— China is expanding it exponentially while the U.S. is investing in fossil fuels. We look at what these decisions mean for the climate and for these countries’ economies. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform...

Since the Gaza ceasefire began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has received blowback from members of his ruling coalition but also an in-person boost from President Trump. And even while he’s on trial for corruption, Netanyahu is gearing up to run for reelection. Our correspondent in Tel Aviv takes a look at Netanyahu’s political present and future. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...

Voters in Ecuador overwhelmingly voted not to allow foreign military bases to return to the country. The Trump Administration had hoped to use Ecuador to support U.S. military activity in the region. And it’s happening against the backdrop of frequent U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats. Supporters of the national referendum wanted help to stem soaring violence from drug gangs using i...

This year authorities in Mumbai, India banned feeding pigeons in public spaces over health concerns. That might seem like a minor civic act but the backlash has been huge. We go to Mumbai to understand the controversy that touches not just on public health but also caste dynamics and religious duty. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship a...

In 1985 the Nevado del Ruiz volcano triggered a mudslide that wiped out the town of Armero, Colombia in one of the 20th century’s worst natural disasters. All these years later the ghosts of Colombia’s deadliest tragedy still haunt its slopes, and families are still searching for lost children. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to...

It has been a month since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was implemented and despite some violations the shaky truce is holding. Both sides say they’re committed to the deal. We look at how progress towards the next phase in the agreement is proceeding. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast spons...

An increasing number of women are joining the Ukrainian military, with thousands serving in frontline roles, as Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine nears its fourth year. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis talks to some of these Ukrainian women who are training and fighting to defend their country. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage yo...

Since the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, Israel’s control of the West Bank has increased. Palestinians in the occupied territory are having their land confiscated at unprecedented rates. 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