Russia attacks Ukraine’s medical system
Fighting in Ukraine is taking a toll on the country's health system. Shortages of medical supplies are reported, and an air strike on a maternity hospital in the port city of Mariupol on Wednesday highlighted the danger to health facilities. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared two years ago on March 11, 2020. We hear about how life around the world has changed — or hasn't — since then. And...
48m Mar 10, 2022
48m
Ukrainian citizens use ‘safe corridors’ to evacuate as bombardment continues
The Russian military is stepping up its attacks on residential areas of besieged cities in Ukraine.  Today, Russian and Ukrainian authorities appeared to take steps toward setting up safe corridors for civilians to evacuate from six cities in the east and south. And the historic city of Lviv features cobblestone streets, ornate churches, and the Lviv Theater of Opera and Ballet.  Today, its res...
48m Mar 09, 2022
48m
EU to cut ties with Russian natural gas
The European Commission unveiled a plan on Tuesday to end its dependence on Russian natural gas. The aim is to reduce imports from Russia by two-thirds by the end of 2022. And residents of Ukraine’s major cities are hunkering down for what may be an extended conflict. The city of Kyiv is turning into a fortress, with Ukrainians stocking up on food and medicines. Plus, Ukrainian refugees have be...
48m Mar 08, 2022
48m
Some refugees from Ukraine flee to Romania, Moldova
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now displaced nearly 2 million people in less than two weeks. Although Poland has taken in the bulk of refugees, two of Europe’s poorest nations — Romania and Moldova — have accepted about 162,000 people so far. And, Russian forces have increasingly targeted civilians in Ukraine, attacking residential apartments, schools and hospitals. We hear how investigato...
49m Mar 07, 2022
49m
Ukrainians, foreigners flee to Poland to escape war
This week, Poland has seen tens of thousands of people crossing the border from Ukraine, fleeing for their lives. Among them are many foreigners who were studying or working in Ukraine before the Russian invasion began. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hits close to home for neighboring Moldova, a small, non-NATO country on Ukraine’s eastern border. Last week Moldova condemned Russia's invasion...
48m Mar 04, 2022
48m
Russia says it aims to ‘demilitarize’ Ukraine
Cathedral bells rang out across Europe today. A gesture of solidarity with Ukraine, and a prayer for peace, marking one week of war. Today, Russian forces continued to pummel Ukrainian civilian centers. From Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the aim is to "demilitarize" Ukraine. And, following immense backlash for allowing Russia and Belarus to compete at the upcoming Paralympic Gam...
48m Mar 03, 2022
48m
Russia escalates attacks on Ukrainian cities
The Russian military continues to bombard Ukraine’s city centers, including civilian populations. “We’ve hardly slept for seven nights,” Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an address to the nation, adding that rest is not possible until there’s victory. And, Syrians also know what it's like to be on the receiving end of Russia's military might. Russia has carried out bombings on ho...
49m Mar 02, 2022
49m
Russia bombards Ukraine's Kharkiv
On the sixth day of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Kharkiv, the second-largest city, remains under attack. Rocket strikes from the Russian military are hitting the city, including Kharkiv's central square, a city government building, the city's opera house and the ballet theater. Also, Belarus has supported the Russian military’s push south to take control of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. The...
48m Mar 01, 2022
48m
Kharkiv under siege
Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, is often described as the country’s most Russia-friendly city. Now, Russia forces have unleashed a brutal assault on the city, including a barrage of rockets that fell in residential areas, killing dozens of civilians — including many children. And several European countries are stepping up their response to the Ukraine crisis: Germany is taking a U-turn on defense ...
49m Feb 28, 2022
49m
The battle for Kyiv
The battle for Kyiv is underway. Explosions have been reported as close as half a mile from the president's headquarters, a large apartment building has been hit by shelling and the Ukrainian military is defending the city's bridges. Hear the latest from Kyiv and what it all means for Ukraine. Also, thousands of Russians have turned out for anti-war protests in more than 50 cities, including Mo...
49m Feb 25, 2022
49m
Russia attacks Ukraine
Early this morning, Russia began a full-fledged assault on Ukraine. Multiple cities and military bases are under fire as part of Russia's military offensive. In Kyiv, residents woke up to the sounds of blasts in and around their city. And some US military observers see the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a sort of “shock and awe” effort, aimed at cowing a possible Ukrainian resistance. We hear w...
47m Feb 24, 2022
47m
Ukraine declares ‘state of emergency’
Ukraine declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, calling up its reservists aged 18 to 60. This follows Russian troops moving into the separatist-controlled Donbas region of Ukraine. And new US sanctions target Russia’s sovereign debt and two large Russian financial institutions. But critics say they’ll be ineffective. Plus, a German shepherd’s meteorite-hit dog house just sold for more than ...
48m Feb 23, 2022
48m
Washington and allies issue sanctions against Russia
In response to Russian troops entering eastern Ukraine, US President Joe Biden spoke today about sanctions against Moscow. European Union foreign ministers also adopted widespread sanctions against Russia. Also, we hear about a massive data breach of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse and what this revelation says about Switzerland's banking sector. Plus, Los Angeles-based musician Sasami shares...
47m Feb 22, 2022
47m
Russia recognizes independence for separatist regions in eastern Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said that his administration is recognizing the independence of the so-called Dontesk and Luhansk People's Republics in eastern Ukraine. What’s at stake with this recent development? And Africa was declared free of wild polio in 2020. But the disease is now back with the detection of a case in a young child in Malawi. Plus, the 2022 Winter Olympics have...
48m Feb 21, 2022
48m
Is Russia creating a pretext for a Ukraine invasion?
Tensions continue to heighten on the Ukraine-Russia border. The US says Russia has increased its troops at the border, as fighting continues between Russian-backed groups and Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine. Some Ukrainians fear that Russia is creating the pretext for an invasion. And France plans to build 14 new nuclear reactors by 2050, in an effort to cut back on carbon emissi...
50m Feb 18, 2022
50m
France to withdraw troops from Mali
Nine years after intervening in Mali to drive out ISIS, France is now withdrawing its troops. France's relationship with Mali's junta military government deteriorated recently. Also, COVID-19 infections are down by nearly 20% worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. While parts of the US have seen dramatic declines, Hong Kong and New Zealand are experiencing surges of new cases. P...
49m Feb 17, 2022
49m
NATO unsure of Putin’s next move with Ukraine
After meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russian leader Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow would “partially pull back troops” from the Ukrainian border. But NATO leaders are not convinced that Putin has decided to step back from the brink. And, following years of drought and war, Afghans now face severe food shortages in parts of Afghanistan, leaving many hungry. Also, Israel’s Prime ...
49m Feb 16, 2022
49m
Eastern Ukraine border residents weigh in on Russia conflict
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that it’s pulling some troops back, away from Russia’s borders with Ukraine. Residents living in Kharkiv, near the Russian border, are keenly aware of what’s at stake. And the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, has only been out of office for three weeks. He’s now facing extradition to the US. Plus, musician Luke Sital-Singh had ...
51m Feb 15, 2022
51m
Trucker protests energize Canada’s far-right movement
The so-called Freedom Convoy blockades in Ottawa and other cities began as a protest against vaccine mandates for truckers. Their actions have energized a small but growing far-right movement in Canada. And similar protests have popped up in Europe, where people are trying to convene in a convoy in Brussels to protest against pandemic restrictions such as vaccine mandates and passports. Plus, e...
49m Feb 14, 2022
49m
Ontario declares ‘state of emergency’ over trucker blockades
Ontario has declared a state of emergency as bottlenecks on the US-Canada border worsen due to protesters in trucks in front of Parliament in Ottawa. Also, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva made history by being the first woman to land a quadruple jump in the Olympics. Now, the 15-year-old is making headlines after her drug test came back positive. Plus, a 60-year-old museum security guard i...
49m Feb 11, 2022
49m
ISIS continues after leader’s death
The US dealt a major blow to ISIS in Syria last week by assassinating its top leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. But that doesn’t spell the end of the terror group that once controlled large swaths of territory across Syria and Iraq. And in Ukraine, many citizens say that in the event of an all-out Russian invasion, they’re prepared. Some have decided to join the Kyiv Territorial Defens...
50m Feb 10, 2022
50m
India court rules on hijab in schools controversy
A court in India will decide whether young women attending schools and colleges in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka can wear their hijab to class. Six young women who were barred from college for wearing the Muslim head scarf filed suit, sparking protests and mobs across Karnataka. And refueling after grueling competition is crucial for Olympians. With so many COVID-19 restrictions in Bei...
50m Feb 09, 2022
50m
South African scientists produce their own COVID vaccine
Scientists in South Africa have figured out a way to make their own version of Moderna’s vaccine against COVID-19. It’s seen as a huge step toward expanded access to lifesaving vaccines across Africa. Also, in Spain’s northeast region of Catalonia, Catalan has been the main language of instruction since 1983. That could all change after Spain’s highest court ruled that at least a quarter of all...
50m Feb 08, 2022
50m
European leaders meet to for Ukraine diplomacy
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are in Washington and Moscow respectively for diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine standoff. And since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014, Ukraine has bolstered its cyberdefense capabilities but has still suffered from severe cyberattacks by the Kremlin. Plus, tributes pour in for singer Lata Mange...
50m Feb 07, 2022
50m
2022 Winter Olympics Games begin in Beijing
On Friday in Beijing, Olympians took part in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics. And the Polish government's current approach to Holocaust history emphasizes "telling all sides" and highlighting the bravery and suffering of non-Jewish Poles. This historical revisionsim has had a chilling effect on Polish Holocaust scholarship. Also, humans used to dine on...
48m Feb 04, 2022
48m
ISIS leader killed in Syria raid
US President Joe Biden has announced today that US commandos have killed ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in a risky pre-dawn attack in Syria. Experts say, however, that his death is not likely to affect the plans of ideologically driven ISIS. And, many Polish historians worry that the current government is trying to cover up the country's role in the Holocaust. New museum exhibit...
47m Feb 03, 2022
47m
Ukraine veterans ready to return to front lines
Since 2014, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have enlisted in the military and have engaged in combat with Russia. Now that the threat level is high with Russia again, many of these veterans are ready to go back to the front lines. And this week, Israel punished three soldiers with dismissals and reprimands over the death of Palestinian American elder Omar Asaad in January. The case caused an up...
49m Feb 02, 2022
49m
One year under military rule in Myanmar
One year since Myanmar’s military took power in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, citizens are fed up with nonviolent resistance. Now, people are taking on the army with whatever they’ve got, from homemade rifles to dynamite. And ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics kicking off this week in Beijing, we hear from athletes as they prepare to travel to China. Also, the pandemic took a heavy toll on couples try...
48m Feb 01, 2022
48m
UN: Taliban killed more than 100 former Afghan govt members
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said his organization has received “credible allegations” that more than 100 former members of the Afghan government and security forces were killed since the Taliban came to power last August. Also, the global COVAX initiative aims to make COVID-19 vaccines equitable to low- and middle-income countries. But one year since delivering its first vaccine shipm...
48m Jan 31, 2022
48m
Truckers protest COVID vaccine mandate in Canada
A huge convoy of trucks is heading to Ottawa for a giant protest on Parliament Hill on Saturday. The so-called Freedom Convoy started as a grassroots movement to protest a new vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canadian border, capturing the attention of far-right groups. Also, much of Europe's energy comes from natural gas piped in from Russia. What is the potential impact of a Russi...
49m Jan 28, 2022
49m
Beijing’s unmet human rights promise
When China won its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing promised to improve China's human rights record. By most accounts, that didn’t happen. As Beijing prepares to host the Olympics again, tough questions about human rights in China remain. Also, Democratic socialist Xiomara Castro became Honduras’ first female president today. She says she’ll work to tackle corruption and bolster alli...
48m Jan 27, 2022
48m
Coronavirus Conversations: What researchers have learned about the omicron variant
Researchers are still studying the omicron variant and its effects. As part of our regular series of conversations about the pandemic, The World’s reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with epidemiologist Bill Hanage of the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> about what researchers have learned so far and how that could in...
42m Jan 27, 2022
42m
Children caught in ISIS fighting in Syria
ISIS fighters have carried out deadly, sophisticated attacks on a prison in northeast Syria since last Thursday. The prison holds hundreds of ISIS members, among them children who were brought to the caliphate by their parents. And, Jan. 26 is officially Australia Day, but to Indigenous communities, it's Invasion Day. In 1972, an Indigenous demonstration in front of the Canberra Parliament buil...
47m Jan 26, 2022
47m
Guatemalan court sides with Indigenous women raped during civil war
Five former members of a civil defense were found guilty Monday of sexual assaults that occurred during Guatemala’s civil war. The men raped dozens of Indigenous women. Also, omicron is hitting Brazil hard, with record-high COVID-19 numbers. Indigenous communities are especially struggling with vaccination rates amid this new wave. Plus, Tennis Australia initially defended its policy against sp...
48m Jan 25, 2022
48m
Biden considers NATO troop reinforcement amid Russia-Ukraine standoff
Amid the standoff between Russia and Ukraine, the US and other Western countries continue to provide Ukraine with military assistance. Now, the Biden administration is weighing sending more troops to countries like Poland and Romania to reinforce NATO allies in Eastern Europe. Also, the rate of global chemical pollution exceeds the planet’s ability to absorb it, threatening the stability of eco...
49m Jan 24, 2022
49m
China continues to take extreme measures to curb COVID 
As COVID-19 cases rise in China, even by small numbers, the government continues to take drastic measures to contain the outbreaks. Measures include a hamster cull in Hong Kong, and thousands stuck in shopping malls for 48-hour quarantines in Shanghai. And US State Department officials traveled to Sudan this week to help mediate the ongoing political crisis in Sudan following the military coup ...
49m Jan 21, 2022
49m
Russia-Ukraine tensions continue
Ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue as Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine. What will Russia's President Vladimir Putin do next? Also, US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy team has brought experience and an emphasis on diplomacy to US engagement abroad. But that hasn’t always been enough to prevent crises from spiraling. Plus, Joy Croo...
49m Jan 20, 2022
49m
Tonga officials worry that with aid comes COVID
International aid is beginning to mobilize for Tonga after an underwater volcano erupted on Saturday. But officials are concerned that admitting aid workers will bring COVID-19 into a country that has remained almost entirely free of the coronavirus. And Cubans who took to the streets to demonstrate against their government last July are paying a heavy price. Dozens have appeared in court in re...
48m Jan 19, 2022
48m
Tonga govt calls volcanic eruption an ‘unprecedented disaster’
The island of Tonga's isolation is impacting efforts to meet humanitarian needs or to even assess conditions days after the volcanic eruption. The Tongan government has called the situation an "unprecedented disaster." And in Mexico on Monday, journalist Margarito Martínez Esquivel was shot dead outside his home in Tijuana. Authorities have launched an investigation, but details remain unclear....
49m Jan 18, 2022
49m
The UAE has the world’s highest COVID-19 vaccination rate
Pandemic trivia: Which country has the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the world? The answer is the United Arab Emirates. The UAE boasts a vaccination rate higher than 90%. We look into what's driven the country’s massive success. Also, in the Arctic, the ground is literally disappearing. Roads, bridges and infrastructure are built on permafrost. But with climate change, that's starting to...
47m Jan 17, 2022
47m
Australia's controversial migrant detention policy in the spotlight
About 30 migrants are currently being detained in the same hotel where tennis star Novak Djokovic stayed, putting the spotlight once again on Australia’s controversial immigration policy. The migrants were transferred from the country’s offshore immigration detention camps to receive medical care, but will not be able to stay in Australia. Also, Japan is pointing fingers at the US military for ...
47m Jan 14, 2022
47m
Former Syrian colonel convicted of crimes against humanity
A German court has convicted former Syrian army colonel Anwar Raslan of crimes against humanity, handing him a life sentence. It’s the world’s first trial related to state-sponsored torture under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. And after a seven-month ban, Nigeria has restored access to Twitter, after the social networking giant agreed to a number of conditions that may permit tighter governm...
47m Jan 13, 2022
47m
Mexico’s president downplays COVID
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday that he had a sore throat after testing positive for COVID-19 for a second time. He then downplayed the illness, saying “it’s like a cold.” And Russia has used an array of tools to destabilize its adversaries, including coercive cyber activity. Yesterday, several US security agencies released an advisory report detailing specific cyber...
47m Jan 12, 2022
47m
US travel advisory list surpasses 80 countries due to COVID
When it comes to global travel, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has four levels of COVID-19 risk advisories for countries, from low to very high. Omicron surges have put many more countries at level four, including Canada. And today marks 20 years since the first detainees filed into the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. US Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden vowed...
47m Jan 11, 2022
47m
Chinese city under strict COVID lockdown ahead of Olympics
Tianjin, a large city near Beijing with 14 million people, reported 41 COVID-19 cases over the weekend. With the Winter Olympics less than a month away, the city is carrying out round-the-clock, mandatory COVID-19 tests. And students and teachers in Uganda reunited today, after nearly two years of COVID-19 shutdowns. We hear why many Ugandan students still won’t be returning to their classrooms...
47m Jan 10, 2022
47m
Turmoil continues in Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, protests, turmoil and violence continue after liquified gas prices recently doubled. The country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said today that he gave orders to security forces to open fire without warning at people he’s calling "terrorists." And airlines are required to fly up to 80% of their schedule to retain their assigned slots, but reduced demand for air travel has led ...
47m Jan 07, 2022
47m
US Capitol insurrection provides extremist propaganda abroad
Imagery from the Jan. 6 insurrection on the US Capitol has made for powerful propaganda in the hands of extremists abroad. We hear from an expert about how US insurrectionists have inspired neo-fascist groups around the world. And with just one month until the Winter Olympics begin in Beijing, China’s zero-COVID-19 policy will impact how the games run. Plus, the King Cake culinary tradition uni...
48m Jan 06, 2022
48m
Canada pledges $31.5 billion over abuse of Indigenous children
Canada's government has pledged to award a $31.5 billion settlement to families in order to begin to repair the damages by a discriminatory system that has removed tens of thousands of children from their parents over the decades. And, scientists in South Africa have made major discoveries about the behavior of the omicron variant, but most of the continent continues to lack vaccine access. We ...
48m Jan 05, 2022
48m
How do new COVID variants get identified?
In recent months, our lives have been dominated by the delta and omicron variants, but now there might be another one lurking — temporarily named IHU.  How do variants get classified as a “variant of concern”? And 24-year-old singer Silvana Estrada is one of Mexico’s most promising young talents. We hear about her upcoming debut album, “Marchita,” and her first headlining US tour. Plus, Canadia...
47m Jan 04, 2022
47m
Sudan’s prime minister resigns amid anti-coup protests
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has stepped down just weeks after he was reinstated by Sudan’s military. The move comes amid street protests responding to the military-led coup in October. And the Daoist goddess Mazu is revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The devout make pilgrimages to Fujian province to pray for the return of Taiwan, which they consider a "renegade province," no...
49m Jan 03, 2022
49m