Ukraine prepares for spring counteroffensive
In Ukraine, air raid sirens went off on Friday at dawn as Russia fired 20 cruise missiles and two drones into the country. Meanwhile, Ukraine is preparing for a long-awaited spring counteroffensive against Russian armed forces. And, the German government says it will set up an international commission to conduct an inquiry into the deadly hostage-taking — and botched police raid — at the 1972 O...
48m Apr 28, 2023
48m
Sudanese American doctor slain in Khartoum
Hundreds of people have been killed in the fighting in Sudan in recent weeks, including a Sudanese American physician. Dr. Bushra Ibnauf lived in Khartoum and was training other medical professionals. He was stabbed outside his home earlier this week. And, there's been a mixed reaction to the new bitcoin currency in El Salvador. Also, Venezuela’s best-known opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, unexp...
46m Apr 27, 2023
46m
US and South Korean presidents meet in Washington
US President Joe Biden is meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday at the White House in a display of strengthening US-Korean solidarity. But recent Pentagon leaks indicating the US eavesdropped on Yoon's presidential office has rattled his cabinet, and could complicate the meeting. And, the World Food Program's regional director for the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Nor...
46m Apr 26, 2023
46m
Sudan fighting eclipses new truce as people flee
Those with the means to leave Sudan's capital, Khartoum, are streaming out of the city as fighting continues between two rival generals. Those left behind are hoping that a shaky US-brokered ceasefire can provide a measure of calm. And, Israel marks its "tensest Memorial Day" in many years on Tuesday. It’s typically a moment of national unity but the political atmosphere is deeply divided. Also...
48m Apr 25, 2023
48m
The role of diplomacy in Sudan conflict
Nations around the globe are busy evacuating their personnel from embassies in Khartoum, Sudan, amid fighting between rival military commanders. With little diplomatic presence left, what role can the international community play in trying to end the violence? And, the COVID-19 pandemic weakened health care systems around the globe. USAID's Dr. Atul Gawande talks about how global health care sy...
48m Apr 24, 2023
48m
Fighting in Sudan damages health care system
Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in Sudan as fighting continues between Sudan's rival armed forces. The fighting has also damaged health facilities, making it difficult for health workers to help those caught in the crosshairs. And, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently said that Kyiv and the West share some responsibility for the conflict in Ukraine, creating ten...
47m Apr 21, 2023
47m
Global decline in confidence in child vaccines
A new UNICEF report estimates that 67 million children have not received a single dose of important vaccines since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, this week, a camp for internally displaced people in northern Iraq was abruptly closed, leaving residents to suddenly find new places to live. Also, The World relaunches "The Big Fix," a series focusing on how people around the world are wor...
48m Apr 20, 2023
48m
Russian espionage in the North Sea
According to intelligence sources, a Russian military program is currently mapping offshore wind farms, gas pipelines, and power and internet cables in the waters around Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. And, Boston's first and only Yemeni restaurant marks Ramadan. Also, the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history happened three years ago this week in Nova Scotia. It led to new restrict...
48m Apr 19, 2023
48m
Sudanese civilians caught in crossfire between rival generals
As fighting continues between Sudan’s two most powerful military generals, civilians say they don’t trust either of the warring factions. And, about 100 more detainees have been flown from Saudi Arabia to Yemen, days after a major prisoner exchange between the two sides. Also, survivors of last month’s devastating earthquakes in Turkey are finding ways to save an Indigenous species of silkworm....
48m Apr 18, 2023
48m
Fighting erupts between Sudan's military and paramilitary
After days of growing tensions, fighting broke out on Saturday between forces of Sudan's military and paramilitary. And, a Moscow court has sentenced Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the Kremlin’s most outspoken critics, to 25 years in prison for treason. Also, southern Spain is looking to ancient irrigation methods to water a drought-stricken region. Plus, Arab Chilean singer Elyanna came to the fa...
48m Apr 17, 2023
48m
Reactions to Pentagon leaks and arrest
FBI agents arrested 21-year-old air national guardsman Jack Teixeira, who has been identified as the prime suspect in the leak of classified intelligence documents. They contain military secrets relating to Ukraine, as well as information about other countries. A former CIA officer reacts to the news. Also, a decade ago, two bombs went off at the Boston Marathon. It's a tragic day that still re...
49m Apr 14, 2023
49m
Russia's view on US intelligence leak
A leaked trove of classified US intelligence information has revealed secrets about Russia's war in Ukraine. The incident has been embarrassing for the Pentagon and the White House, and the Kremlin, as well as the media, are all paying close attention. And, a celebrity chef explores cuisine and culture on the US-Mexico border, taking viewers to Baja California, Sonora and Chihuahua. Also, Musli...
48m Apr 13, 2023
48m
US issues stiff EPA emission limits for vehicles
On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced that by 2032, two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the US would need to be electric in order for auto manufacturers to be in compliance. And, Nigerian activist Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode's new book, "The Stolen Daughters of Chibok," documents the April 2014 kidnapping of northern Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram. Also, Bengali Muslims all over India ...
48m Apr 12, 2023
48m
China to rein in AI chat
Alibaba just released a new AI chatbot called Tongyi Qianwen, or "seeking truth by asking a thousand questions." But China is clamping down on companies doing cutting-edge AI work, fearing it could subjugate "state control." And, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is visiting Somalia as part of a UN effort to support the drought-stricken nation. Nearly 5 million people are experi...
49m Apr 11, 2023
49m
Expedited asylum cases at Mexico-US border
US officials are struggling to keep up with the increasing number of migrants arriving at the southern border and seeking asylum. Beginning this week, asylum officers will screen a small number of migrants at the border in temporary facilities. And, Saudi officials traveled to Sana'a, Yemen, on Sunday for direct talks with Houthi rebel leaders. Their arrival signals a new chapter in the effort ...
49m Apr 10, 2023
49m
Gang kidnappings surge in Haiti
A human rights group in Haiti says the number of kidnappings in the country have tripled compared to the same time period last year. As the political and economic situation worsens, police are outgunned and gangs control much of the country. And, a new book explores how patriarchy became common around the world. Also, the United Nations said this week that it has been informed by the Taliban th...
49m Apr 07, 2023
49m
A bumpy road to the 'end' of COVID
Pinpointing the “end” of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on the vantage point. Medical professionals wait for death rates to subside and immunity to build. Social scientists tend to focus on perceived risk. And, ahead of Easter, the Nicaraguan government has banned Holy Week processions. It's part of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's ongoing tussle with the Catholic Church, which is part of th...
48m Apr 06, 2023
48m
Israeli police raid al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem
Early on Wednesday, dozens of Israeli police raided al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Islam, to clear people who it said were barricaded inside. The incident comes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and just as Passover begins, stoking fears of more tension in the region. Many Ukrainian Jews will be observing Passover this year. And a traditional Jewish text is being...
48m Apr 05, 2023
48m
Finland joins NATO
In a quick ceremony in Brussels, Finland was officially accepted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as its 31st member. The Kremlin aired its grievances against the alliance, claiming that troops would be deployed to the area along Russia's border with Finland. And, starting this month, the Japanese government is offering a new incentive to get families in densely populated Tokyo to mo...
48m Apr 04, 2023
48m
Arrest made in St. Petersberg café blast
Russian authorities have detained a 26-year-old native of St. Petersburg after a bomb killed a prominent military blogger in a café on Sunday. Russian officials are accusing Ukraine and Russian opposition activists for the attack. And, more than 60 Chinese Christians fleeing government harassment are struggling to reach the US. They’ve been detained along the way in Thailand on visa charges. Al...
49m Apr 03, 2023
49m
Trump is the first US president to be indicted for a crime
Donald Trump has made history as the first US president to be indicted for a crime, but this is something that’s pretty common around the globe. We hear about how numerous world leaders have been caught up in their own legal problems. Also, inflation has long haunted the economy of Argentina. But it’s now reaching excruciating levels, soaring past 100%, the highest level in 30 years. And, the a...
49m Mar 31, 2023
49m
Russia detains American journalist on espionage charges
Russia's security services arrested American reporter Evan Gershkovich, of The Wall Street Journal, in Moscow on Thursday. Gershkovich was hit with espionage charges by Russia's government — a first for a US correspondent since the Cold War. And, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, said the situation in war-torn Zaporizhzhia is "very dangerous," as continued shel...
47m Mar 30, 2023
47m
US, Israel leaders spat over legal overhaul
The relationship between the US and Israel has always been strong. But as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition tried to overhaul Israel's judicial system, fissures between the two leaders have begun to show. And, Mar. 29 marks 50 years since President Richard Nixon announced that all US combat troops had left Vietnam. Also, more than 1,000 AI researchers and te...
47m Mar 29, 2023
47m
Fire ravages migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez
Dozens of migrants are dead after a fire swept through a detention center in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juárez. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says the fire was started by migrants who were protesting news of their deportation. And, during the Khmer Rouge's reign, many of Cambodia's ancient relics were spirited out of the country. Now, looted antiquities are starting to be...
48m Mar 28, 2023
48m
Bibi hits pause on judicial overhaul plan
After weeks of mass protests in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will hit pause on a controversial plan to overhaul the judicial system. The growing demonstrations have shuttered shops and universities, and grounded flights. And, Paul Rusesabagina, the man portrayed in the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda," has been freed from prison in Kigali. Two years ago, Rusesabagina ...
49m Mar 27, 2023
49m
US and Canada add restrictions to asylum agreement
The US and Canada have agreed to change a decades-old asylum agreement, putting more restrictions on migrants seeking protections in Canada. And, since the 9th century, monks, aristocrats and emperors have all tracked the date of "full flower" for cherry blossoms, providing an unusually complete record of spring coming earlier in Japan. Also, congressional leaders sparred with TikTok CEO Shou Z...
48m Mar 24, 2023
48m
Biden visits Canada for talks with Trudeau
US President Joe Biden is visiting Canada today to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and address Canada's Parliament in Ottawa. US-Canada border relations are at the top of the agenda. And, mice are plaguing tiny, uninhabited Marion Island located southeast of South Africa in the Indian Ocean. The invasive mouse population is threatening the birds, and conservationists say they need to go...
48m Mar 23, 2023
48m
The lingering toll of war
Kayla Williams was deployed to Iraq in 2003 as an Arabic linguist two days after the US-led invasion began. She talks about the long-term physical and psychological impact of the war on veterans. And, the International Monetary Fund and Ukraine have agreed to terms that pave the way for a $15.6 billion relief package, designed to prop up the government's intense military spending and the blows ...
47m Mar 22, 2023
47m
The risk of global banking 'contagion'
Contagion is a medical term, but it applies to the banking world, too. Investors are worried that the problems at a handful of American banks could ripple across the world economy and that unexpected surprises may be lurking. And, Ecuador finds a novel way to convert seized cocaine into cement. Also, the outgoing head of the UN’s World Food Program, David Beasley, has long argued that growing g...
48m Mar 21, 2023
48m
Iraq's 'Generation Freedom'
Monday marks 20 years since the start of “Operation Iraqi Freedom," the US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled the president, Saddam Hussein, and aimed to spread democracy in the country. We hear from those who lived through these turbulent and violent years. And, gay sex is already illegal in Uganda, punishable by life in prison. But a new bill making its way through the legislature would make i...
49m Mar 20, 2023
49m
International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin
The International Criminal Court said Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. It was the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. And, Turkey's President Recep Tayyi...
48m Mar 17, 2023
48m
Poland: 1st NATO member to give Ukraine fighter jets
Poland says it will send at least four Soviet-designed MiG fighter planes to Ukraine to aid in its war effort against Russian forces. Western nations previously avoided sending jets to avoid an escalation in the conflict. And, the International Atomic Energy Association is reporting missing nuclear material in Libya. There is major concern about who possesses 2.5 tons of natural uranium left ov...
48m Mar 16, 2023
48m
US, Russia ratchet up rhetoric over drone
The crash landing of an American reconnaissance drone struck by a Russian warplane and downed over the Black Sea is further rattling US-Russia relations. It’s unclear whether the incident was an error or a deliberate action. And, US law enforcement is taking some new steps against espionage and intellectual property theft on university campuses. But these measures are putting some researchers a...
48m Mar 15, 2023
48m
Cyclone Freddy returns to Mozambique
Cyclone Freddy is already the longest-lived tropical cyclone ever recorded. Now, it's returned to Mozambique for a second time in the past few weeks, bringing powerful winds and torrential rains. And, about half of the world’s population lives in areas at risk of dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease. Scientists have warned that climate change is likely hastening the spread of the mosquito ...
49m Mar 14, 2023
49m
Israel rethinks its security strategy
Israel is taking another look at its security strategy following the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Israel had seen Saudi Arabia's anti-Iran stance as a bulwark in its security strategy. And, Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi was thrown into the global spotlight in 2008 after hurling his shoes at then-President George W. Bush. Two decades after the US-led invasion of I...
49m Mar 13, 2023
49m
Controversial immigration bill overshadows UK-France summit
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris on Friday with the aim to reset relations. The UK's new controversial immigration bill dominated the meeting, as it would ban all migrants arriving in Britain on small boats from the shores of France. And, Xi Jinping has secured a third term as general-secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. The position wiel...
48m Mar 10, 2023
48m
Georgian protesters celebrate big win
Lawmakers in Georgia say they’re now scrapping plans to introduce a measure that would have required media organizations and NGOs getting more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence.” And, amid Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine, many of the country's top athletes returned back to their rigorous training routines. This fencer and wrestler are both...
48m Mar 09, 2023
48m
Georgia faces bumpy road to EU membership
Thousands of protesters in Tbilisi, Georgia, are speaking out against a bill that would require organizations receiving more than 20% of funding from international sources to register as "foreign agents." Many fear this legislation would push Georgia further from Western allies, and muck up aspirations to EU membership. And, last week, two Americans were killed in the Mexican city of Matamoros ...
48m Mar 08, 2023
48m
France on strike: Workers protest higher pension age
The French president is determined to raise the pension age to 64. But plenty of French workers are pushing back. For the sixth time this year, people across the country are walking off their jobs. And, the US and European police shut down a notorious cybercrime gang linked to Russia. After breaking into computer networks, the so-called DopplePaymer group demanded payment to unscramble sensitiv...
49m Mar 07, 2023
49m
After quakes, Turkey expands 'disinformation' law
The Turkish government has begun investigating journalists, media commentators and social media users accused of spreading misinformation about earthquake recovery efforts. If convicted, they could face up to three years in prison. And, former Prime Minister Imran Khan's speeches were banned by Pakistan's media regulator on Monday. The regulator said Khan was "spreading hate speech" in his rece...
49m Mar 06, 2023
49m
Israel's democracy in crisis
A group of Israeli activists traveled to a village in the West Bank on Friday, intending to bring a message of coexistence with Palestinians. But they were halted by Israeli soldiers. These rising tensions come amid a crisis of democracy in Israel. And, thousands of passengers were stranded in airports in Colombia and several other Latin American countries this week following the collapse of th...
48m Mar 03, 2023
48m
G-20 talks overshadowed by Ukraine rifts
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken unexpectedly met his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in New Delhi, India, on Thursday. But minimal actual dialogue seemed to take place amid deepening global rifts. And, Romania's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă introduced his new adviser, Ion, an artificial intelligence assistant. Also, a multiagency assessment from US intelligence offi...
49m Mar 02, 2023
49m
Nigeria elects new president
Bola Tinubu will be Nigeria's next leader, extending his party's rule. But the opposition is calling the election rigged and promising to challenge the results in court. And, African countries have mostly stayed on the sidelines of the Russia-Ukrainian war. Many African nations import large supplies of wheat and fertilizer from the two warring nations and they aren't eager to jeopardize those v...
49m Mar 01, 2023
49m
'Earthquake diplomacy' in Syria
Diplomats from many Arab nations are meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the first time since the country's civil war began in 2011, when most of them severed ties. The visits follow the devastating earthquakes that hit the region earlier this month. And, the Taliban restricted the media and freedom of expression when they took power in August 2021. In the last two months, there's...
49m Feb 28, 2023
49m
Peace talks in Jordan as West Bank violence escalates
Palestinian and Israeli delegations began peace talks in Jordan on Feb. 26, just as a Palestinian gunman killed two Israelis and settlers burned cars and buildings in the West Bank. And, millions of Nigerians cast their votes for a new president over the weekend. Many voters applauded improvement in the election process, but others experienced violence at the polls. Now, comes the wait for the ...
50m Feb 27, 2023
50m
A year of war in Ukraine
One year to the day after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a "special operation" in Ukraine, we look back at some of the turning points in the ground war, the humanitarian crisis and the political fallout across the globe. We also break down some of the statistics to help illuminate what this war has meant for those living through it. Also, the war in Ukraine is shaking up global alli...
49m Feb 24, 2023
49m
Young Nigerians will determine their next president
Nigeria, the largest country in Africa, holds elections on Feb. 25. Most voters are under the age of 30, and see this moment as a chance to throw out the old guard that has ruled for decades. And, since early 2023, police in Haiti have been targeted by gangs. Angry officers have been protesting the killings of their comrades, but also demanding basic guarantees to do their job. Also, we hear fr...
48m Feb 23, 2023
48m
Zelenskiy's popularity soars in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has won praise as a heroic defender of democracy in the face of Russian aggression. As the war enters its second year, what does the public expect from its president? And, attacks on the Kyiv area have receded and rebuilding damaged areas is underway. But homeowners say the Ukrainian government isn't providing enough financial assistance to cover the cost of repairs. Also, t...
49m Feb 22, 2023
49m
Putin suspends START nuclear pact with US
Russian President Vladimir Putin's lengthy speech on Tuesday laid out his view on the war in Ukraine. He said Russia would step back from its last major nuclear arms agreement with the US. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden focused on the US' unwavering support for its allies in an address given in Poland. And, Russia continues to throw men and munitions at Ukrainian forces in an effort to take con...
49m Feb 21, 2023
49m
Biden visits Kyiv
Joe Biden showed up in the Ukrainian capital on Monday morning. The president's surprise visit to Kyiv coincides with the one-year anniversary on Friday of Russia's full-scale invasion. We'll hear from our team in the capital. Also, Poland has welcomed more than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees since tanks rolled into Ukraine. But now, the Polish government plans to make some of them start paying...
49m Feb 20, 2023
49m