Learn more about your world through in-depth analysis and on-the-ground reports. (Updated periodically)
The process of returning dead hostages continues as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holds. Israel accuses Hamas of stalling the return of remains as promised in the deal. Hamas and the Red Cross say Israel’s destruction in Gaza has made recovery nearly impossible. As Leila Molana-Allen reports, Palestinians who survived the war are returning to ruins where their homes once stood. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Wednesday, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire following days of deadly clashes, Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died at 80, a federal judge in Montana dismissed a lawsuit brought by young climate activists who tried to stop Trump’s executive orders on fossil fuels and Boston's mayor pushed back on Trump's threat to move World Cup matches. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
The fragile Israel–Hamas ceasefire faces new tension. All 20 living hostages were released on Monday and were supposed to be accompanied by the bodies of 28 deceased hostages. But as of Tuesday evening, only eight have been handed over. As Leila Molana-Allen reports, caring for the living is now a priority, while awaiting the delivery of the dead is excruciating. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
As the Israel–Hamas ceasefire faces tensions, Amna Nawaz discussed the latest developments with Yousef Munayyer. He’s the head of the Palestine/Israel Program and senior fellow at Arab Center Washington DC, a non-profit research group. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Tuesday, President Trump announced U.S. forces struck another boat off Venezuela that he says was a drug vessel, Trump hosted Argentina's president at the White House, the man who set fire to the Pennsylvania governor's mansion in April pleaded guilty to attempted murder and a massive Pacific storm is battering the West from California to the Rockies. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
After two years of brutal war, 20 Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners were swapped as the American-led ceasefire in Gaza held. It was a day of hope and relief for many, tinged with apprehension of what lies ahead. President Trump received a hero's welcome in Israel and later led a peace conference in Egypt. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
To discuss the peace agreement and the release of hostages and detainees, Amna Nawaz spoke with two people with extensive experience trying to negotiate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Dennis Ross had roles in the peace process for both Democratic and Republican administrations, and Rob Malley had high-level national security positions in the Clinton, Obama and Biden administrations. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
President Trump left Washington and the government shutdown behind Sunday for the Middle East to highlight a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that includes the anticipated release of Israeli hostages and thousands of detained Palestinians. This as desperate Palestinians await more aid in Gaza. Anshel Pfeffer of The Economist joins John Yang from Jerusalem to discuss. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
There’s relief in both Israel and Gaza as the pause in fighting appears to be holding. As Israeli forces pull back in Gaza, humanitarian organizations prepare to move in to increase the flow of desperately needed aid. Before the ceasefire took hold, Nick Schifrin spoke with Antoine Renard, the World Food Program’s director for the Palestinian territories, about conditions inside Gaza. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
For the first time in more than six months, the guns have gone silent in Gaza. Palestinians and Israelis are saying tonight they hope this ceasefire will prove to be the end of the war. Palestinians used the respite from relentless bombing to start picking up the pieces. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Israel and Hamas signed the agreement President Trump proposed to pause their devastating two-year war in Gaza. Under the terms, Hamas will release all 20 living hostages in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli military will begin pulling back, but stay inside Gaza. As Nick Schifrin reports, uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
As Israel and Hamas work to implement the first phase of the ceasefire deal, Geoff Bennett spoke with Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, about what changed to make this agreement acceptable today when it wasn’t previously. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
For another perspective on the Israel and Hamas peace deal, Amna Nawaz spoke with Mouin Rabbani. He is a former United Nations official and non-resident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. He’s also co-editor of Jadaliyya, an online publication that focuses on the Middle East. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a deal to end the two-year-long war in Gaza. The deal would include the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for Israel's partial withdrawal from Gaza. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Two years after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Palestinian health authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed in the war in Gaza. More than 40,000 children have lost one or both parents. With the help of our producer in Gaza, Shams Odeh, Nick Schifrin reports on the stories of sacrifice and suffering. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Two years after Hamas launched its deadly Oct. 7 attacks, Israelis took to the streets to mourn the loss of loved ones while also demanding the return of hostages still held. Among those kidnapped were the wife and children of Avihai Brodutch. They were released in November 2023, after being held for 51 days. Geoff Bennett spoke with Brodutch about the experience and his hope for Israel's future. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Israel and Hamas launched indirect talks in Egypt for a potential ceasefire. The first phase of the U.S.-drafted peace plan calls for the release of the Israeli hostages in exchange for the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops. A second phase envisions the end of the war and a lasting governance plan for Gaza. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
A new poll finds that two-thirds of Israelis say the time has come to end the war in Gaza. It's the highest number since the beginning of the war nearly two years ago. That divide in Israeli society is reflected inside its military. Some reservists say the war must be fought and won, and others are refusing to serve. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Israel continued bombarding parts of Gaza Sunday even as its negotiators prepared for mediated talks with Hamas in Egypt. The talks, aimed at a deal to exchange the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners, could be the first step toward ending the war in Gaza. John Yang speaks with Daniel Estrin, NPR's correspondent covering the Israel-Hamas war, for more on what to expect. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
U.S. envoys are going to Cairo to try to nail down a deal between Hamas and Israel to free the remaining Israeli hostages, which Trump hopes would be the first step toward ending their war. While both Hamas and Israel have sounded positive about Trump’s plan, they’ve also indicated there’s still much to be resolved. John Yang speaks with former Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Saturday, police in Britain are questioning six people arrested in connection with the deadly Yom Kippur synagogue attack, Japan’s ruling party elected an ultra-conservative leader positioned to become the nation’s first woman prime minister, and Morocco’s biggest anti-government protests in years turned deadly this week. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In northern Spain, there’s a dying culinary art that produces the most expensive cheese in the world. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
President Trump is demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza. It comes after Hamas announced it had agreed to Trump’s proposal to release all Israeli hostages held in Gaza. But the militant group, which launched the deadly Oct. 7 attacks just short of two years ago, did not agree to all of the president’s framework. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says U.S. forces destroyed a boat near Venezuela that they say was trafficking narcotics, UK investigators say one of the two men killed in the Manchester synagogue attack may have been accidentally shot by police and a New York judge sentenced Sean "Diddy" Combs to four years and two months in prison. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Thursday, British police are calling the deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester a terrorist attack, President Trump says the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with drug cartels operating in the Caribbean, the White House is asking universities to align themselves with Trump's political priorities in exchange for funding and Israeli attacks killed dozens of Palestinians overnight. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
For decades, the U.S. has tried to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Those efforts, despite the deep passion among the mediators and the endless work with both sides, ultimately failed. Robert Malley participated in peace talks at Camp David 25 years ago and co-authored a book about the pursuit of peace. He sat down with Nick Schifrin to discuss "Tomorrow is Yesterday." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Hamas is still reviewing the U.S. plan to end the war in Gaza that was presented by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. But the war continues, and Israel blocked a flotilla of ships trying to break through its blockade of Gaza. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Wednesday, the Supreme Court is letting Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook stay in her role for now, the White House pulled its nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, residents of a Bronx apartment building were unharmed after an explosion caused part of the high-rise to collapse and Hurricane Imelda is heading toward Bermuda. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
One of the world’s most beloved and influential primatologists and conservationists has died. Jane Goodall spent more than half a century studying chimpanzees and advocating for animal rights and environmental protection. As Jeffrey Brown reports, Goodall helped change the way we look at animals and their behavior. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a plan to end the war in Gaza. But Hamas has yet to agree, and there are questions about its implementation. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
To discuss President Trump's and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's proposal to end the war in Gaza, Amna Nawaz spoke with David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Iran is bracing for global sanctions over its nuclear program to go back in place after the U.N. Security Council rejected a last-ditch effort to delay them. PBS Frontline correspondent Sebastian Walker conducted an exclusive interview with Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, ahead of the decision. John Yang speaks with Walker about his takeaways from the interview. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech at the U.N. as dozens of delegates walked out in protest, federal officials say they've removed an immigration officer from his current duties after an altercation at a Manhattan immigration court and Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar are ending their blackouts of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night program. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
As the leader of a NATO nation that shares an 830-mile border with Russia, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has been a key voice in Europe’s response to the war in Ukraine. In a speech to the U.N. Security Council this week, he welcomed what he called an apparent shift in tone on Ukraine and Russia by President Trump. Geoff Bennett sat down with Stubb to discuss more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Extremist Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has recently been its highest since the U.N. started recording. Over the last two years, several Americans have allegedly been among those killed there. Amna Nawaz sat down with three American families seeking accountability and justice for the death or detention of their loved ones. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
At the U.N. General Assembly in New York, a man who one year ago had a U.S. bounty on his head strode to the center of the world stage as the President of Syria. Ahmed Al-Sharaa fought the Assad regime for more than a decade and fought Americans in Iraq before that. Ali Rogin discussed Al-Sharaa's with former Ambassador James Jeffrey. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In a recent report, Judy Woodruff explored the history of violence in Northern Ireland as a warning to our own country about how quickly identity-based conflicts can spiral out of control. She now reports from Belfast on efforts to bridge the deep divisions that remain there, decades after their conflict officially ended. It’s part of her series, America at a Crossroads. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
President Trump announced an extraordinary shift in policy on Ukraine. He has previously suggested Ukraine would have to give up territory to make peace, but today he said it could win back areas occupied or annexed by Russia since 2014. Trump made the announcement as he delivered the first speech to the United Nations of his second term. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
The Trump administration moved forward today with its overhaul of H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The president is proposing a $100,000 fee for anyone applying for the visa. The plan is sparking concern as employees and companies that rely on the workers race to understand the consequences. William Brangham has two perspectives on the plan from Justin Wolfers and Ronil Hira. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
World dignitaries are gathering this week for the UN General Assembly. The first speech will come from Brazil's president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. Lula's predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, has become an explosive issue in U.S.-Brazilian relations. President Trump levied a 50% tariff on many Brazilian goods as a penalty for the prosecution of Bolsonaro. Amna Nawaz sat down with Lula to discuss more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
There will be a series of diplomatic meetings over Iran at the United Nations this week. Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have gone back and forth over whether UN inspectors will be allowed to examine Iran’s nuclear sites, including those attacked by Israel and the U.S. in June. Nick Schifrin discussed more with the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In our news wrap Sunday, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Portugal formally recognized a Palestinian state, Trump plans to nominate a senior White House aide as the new U.S. attorney in Virginia, the federal government’s annual report on hunger in America is being canceled, and California became the first state to ban law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while on duty. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy