State of Ukraine

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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The war with Russia has touched all aspects of Ukrainian life, including efforts to preserve the nation's history. We go to an island in the Dnipro River where archaeologists from around the world are racing to preserve an 18th century shipwreck - exposed by Russia's destruction of a major dam - as the site is threatened by both rapid deterioration and the nearby front line.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When the Dalai Lama fled Chinese-controlled Tibet over sixty years ago, he settled in Dharamshala, India, setting up a government-in-exile. Thousands of Tibetan refugees followed their spiritual leader there. But now their numbers are dwindling and their are concerns about their future. We go there to understand the pressures their population faces.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After constant requests during two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli military finally brings our correspondent into the territory to see the devastation in post-war northern Gaza firsthand. And even though he's been covering this conflict since it began, seeing the destruction up close was shocking.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In Austria, three nuns, all in their 80's, recently ran away from a nursing home. With the help of supporters, and a locksmith, they broke into their former convent in defiance of church orders. They're determined to fulfill their vows and grow old on their own terms. These sisters are now taking Instagram by storm where they're being supported by a growing community. We go to Salzburg to meet them.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dates and olives are important crops in the Middle East and growing them is essential to the livelihood of many Palestinians in the West Bank. But increasingly Israeli settlers have been attacking and intimidating Palestinian olive farmers there. We go to the West Bank to see how this year's harvest is going.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After two years of war, Gaza is littered with unexploded bombs often hiding in the rubble of destroyed buildings. And they can be deadly even decades later. We go to Gaza to hear about one family's encounter with an unexploded bomb and learn how long it might take make the territory safe.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea amid a tense tariff war between the two countries. Trump was upbeat after the meeting in which both sides agreed to trade concessions. We take a look at the state of U.S.-China relations with a former U.S. ambassador to China.And ahead of that meeting, President Trump signed several rare earth agreements with Asian countries to reduce America's reliance on China. We hear why the U.S. is anxious to find other sources for these minerals and ask if it's too little too late.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Darfur region of Sudan because known to the world as the site of a genocide twenty years ago. The U.S. and U.N. say there is a genocide happening in Darfur again and now the violence there has reached a new level of horror. A paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces took control of the city of El Fasher, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents trapped under RSF control and there is evidence of atrocities being committed. We hear about what is happening in the city and a Sudanese-American poet who grew up in El Fasher and is watching from afar.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Isolated indigenous tribes deep in the Amazon rainforests of Peru are seeing the crop used to make cocaine spread into their lands from drug traffickers seeking more territory for cultivation. With the incursion comes deforestation and violence. We go to the rainforest and meet the self-defense force patrolling the jungle to stop the destruction. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The small island country of Trinidad and Tobago is in the middle of an American military buildup. The U.S. has deployed warships and attacked alleged drug boats nearby, leaving residents on edge. We hear from fishermen who see drones in the sky and go to the funeral of someone presumed to have been killed by a U.S. strike.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

China's fast fashion mega-seller Shein is opening its first permanent Paris boutique in the iconic Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville department store. Parisian purists say the move betrays the artistry and craftsmanship of France's tradition of couture. Some are boycotting the store and others have even started a petition in opposition of Shein's Paris arrival.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The automotive industry in Germany, once the backbone of Europe's biggest economy, is in a rapid decline. In the past year, the German car industry shed more than 51,000 jobs – about 7% of its total workforce. We go to some companies that are now turning to manufacturing weapons as part of the country's boost in military spending to keep their factories running.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the country has been hit with more than 50,000 drone strikes. The constant threats of war have changed many things about life in Ukraine, including the way the night time sounds. We meet members of a youth orchestra outside Kyiv who are marking the new sounds of their country with a sonic poem.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In just seven minutes, in broad daylight, millions of dollars worth of jewels that once belonged to French royalty were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. We hear about what was stolen, how the French people are reacting and what it might take to catch the thieves who did it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems to hold and Gaza starts to emerge from war, the immense challenges facing the territory in its eventual recovery are becoming clear. Around ninety percent of buildings damaged or destroyed, there are no funds for reconstruction and unexploded bombs are buried beneath debris. We hear from the U.N. program that has a team on the ground working to clear rubble and rebuild infrastructure about the challenges that lie ahead.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When Oscar Wilde was jailed for, "gross indecency," a 19th century euphemism for gay sex, his library card was revoked. 130 years later, the British Library has re-issued it to his grandson.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Migrants travel by boat for hundreds of miles from Africa to reach Spain's Canary Islands. After surviving the dangerous crossing, many are stranded for months and unable to work. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In a deeply personal postcard from NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu, we go the funeral of his venerated grandfather in Nigeria. It was a huge celebration of life, with music and dance. However, the family was confronted with extortion and exploitation at the gravesite. It's an all too common occurrence, one that amplifies the grief of many Nigerians.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons were released into Gaza and the occupied West Bank as part of phase one of the ceasefire deal. All 20 surviving Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas after spending more than two years in captivity in Gaza. We hear reaction from Gaza and Tel Aviv.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The kiwi, an adorable flightless bird from New Zealand, is disappearing, largely because of invasive species brought to the country's islands by humans. So New Zealand has set a goal of exterminating rats, possums and other invasive animals that threaten the country's biodiversity.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Italy's Campi Flegrei volcano is depicted in Greek and Roman mythology as the entrance to the underworld. Its eruptions thousands of years ago blocked out the sun, turning summer into winter. And now the volcano is stirring in a way it hasn't for centuries. We go to the volcano outside Naples to understand its new activity.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Israel and Hamas have agreed on the "first phase" of a Gaza ceasefire deal, raising the possibility that the war may now be over. We hear from two of our correspondents in the region who have covered the entire war about the details in the plan and reactions to the announcement in Israel and in Gaza. And an interview with a Israeli man whose cousin's remains are still in Gaza, about how families of hostages are feeling in this moment.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We continue our look at the ramifications of the two years of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. We go to southern Lebanon where demolitions and attacks on towns near the boarder with Israel continue even after a cease-fire between the two countries was put in place.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On October 7, 2023, a surprise attack from Hamas-led militants in Gaza became the deadliest day in Israeli history. Israel's ensuing war in Gaza has been the deadliest and most destructive Palestinians have ever endured. We look at the heavy human costs born by Israelis and Palestinians over the last two years. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

France's prime minister resigns with his government having been in power for only 18 hours. The country has had five prime ministers in two years, and the political crisis facing President Emmanuel Macron and a divided parliament is deepening. This uncertainty is having an effect on the European Union's second-largest economy. Our correspondent in Paris explains the situation.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The recent controversy in the U.S. over Jimmy Kimmel's show being taken off the air, then restored got two of our correspondents thinking about similar sagas in the countries they cover. In both France and Russia popular political satire shows with puppets ran afoul of those in power and were pushed off the air. We hear from each show's creator about what happened.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Protests in Morocco and Madagascar, two disparate and distant African countries, highlight the younger generation's frustrations over enduring years of poor governance. Our correspondent in Africa tells us these youth movements are fueled by social media and are demanding government accountability.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In Colombia we meet marine biologist Elvira Álvarado, known as the “mother of coral”. At 70, she's still diving and pioneering a type of coral IVF to help save endangered reefs.And in China, ride-hailing companies are penalizing drivers for smelly rides. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The United States is no longer providing weapons to Ukraine directly in their fight against Russia, so Ukraine is building their own as fast as they can. Ukraine's president has suggested their weapons industry is advanced enough export their goods to like-minded countries. Our correspondent explores Ukraine's arms industry and views Ukrainian-made weapons on display at a conference held in an unusual place.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the fighting in Gaza. Netanyahu said he has agreed to the plan for now, but underscored that Israel is ready to keep fighting if Hamas doesn't agree to all the terms. Our reporter was there for the announcement and brings us more details.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In Mexico, chile en nogada is the taste of September. But one key ingredient —a candied cactus — is now illegal to buy - because its on the verge of extinction. But as our Mexico correspondent learns, traditions in Mexico are very hard to break.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Our reporter in Gaza brings us scenes from Gaza City as Israel attempts to occupy the population center. A hospital courtyard has become a graveyard. And we hear one expert's take on whether recent announcements of countries recognizing a Palestinian state will make a difference in the peace process.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the United Nations the day after President Trump reversed his position on the war with Russia, saying Ukraine could win back all the territory it has lost. Meanwhile, Russia's ramped up attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks have included more and more Russian aircraft entering the airspace of NATO countries. NATO has warned future incursions will lead to a more muscular response. We get updates from reporters in New York and Brussels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the United States it is estimated that more than 218,000 people don't have citizenship — in the U.S. or any other country. This can make all kinds of mundane tasks, like opening a bank account or travelling, difficult to impossible. And with the Trump administration aggressively going after people without legal status to be in the country, many people who are stateless worry about indefinite detention or deportation to a country they have no ties to. We meet some people in this situation.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Over the last few days, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France and others recognized Palestine as a sovereign state. It's a recognition Palestinians have been seeking for decades and that Israel says is a gift to Hamas. We get reaction from residents of the Occupied West Bank and from the U.N. General Assembly which is underway in New York.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

U.S. import tariffs have had a noticeable impact on the shrimp industry in India, which until recently was a success story. Our correspondent goes to a coastal Indian town to see how those who depend on shrimp exports for their livelihood are coping. And she learns about the broader effects low shrimp prices in the U.S. have had across the world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Along with the terrible cost in human lives, wars often bring rapid technological innovation and the war in Gaza is no different. More Israeli soldiers' lives have been saved in this war compared to previous wars, thanks to medical advances, new technology and lessons learned on the operating table. We hear about some about some of the medical innovations being made.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The United Nation is holding its annual General Assembly this month as the organization marks 80 years since its founding. But the body created in the aftermath of World War II to save future generations from scourge of war is struggling. With wars in Ukraine and Gaza and now with a Trump administration which wants to reshape the U.S. relationship with the U.N.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Israel says a new phase of the war in Gaza has begun as troops make a push to takeover and occupy Gaza City. We get an update on the offensive. And for the first time a U.N. panel has found Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, we'll hear from the head of commission that came to that finding.For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/middle-eastLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ahead of a Presidential visit to the United Kingdom this week, we learn about the heritage of Donald Trump's mother, who was born and raised in one of the UK's northernmost islands. Our correspondent takes us to the Scottish island where Mary Ann MacLeod was born and learned English as her second language after Gaelic.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy