State of Ukraine

Soccer's biggest event is officially underway as the 2026 World Cup kicked off in Mexico. The games will be played in Canada and the U.S. as well, but we go to Mexico City, the capital of the most soccer-obsessed host country, to hear about the jubilant atmosphere. And a Somali referee who was set to make history officiating the World Cup was denied entry to the U.S. He returned to Mogadishu to a hero's welcome.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

A new report shows conflicts across the globe surged in 2025, reaching levels not seen since the Second World War. And violence against civilians reached new heights. We hear from one of the report's authors and get an update on one of the flashpoints driving the increase in violence: the war in Sudan.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

North Korea hosted a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the first in nearly seven years. Though the two neighboring countries have had an alliance for decades, the meeting comes as North Korea has been prioritizing its relationship with Russia. We hear from our correspondents in Shanghai and Seoul about what this meeting means.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

Guadalajara is preparing for the World Cup with fan zones and celebrations, but the city is also the capital of one of Mexico's most violent states. Families of the more than 130,000 people reported missing in Mexico continue to search for their loved ones, putting up posters and digging for remains, even as the world watches soccer's biggest spectacle. We go to Guadalajara to here from families balancing hope, grief, and visibility.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

With ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at a virtual standstill due to the war in Iran, companies are scrambling to find new and alternative ways to move everything from oil to fertilizer to household goods. We look at how they're doing it.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

Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers questions from Congress about radical changes to the U.S. refugee program— a program that once had bipartisan support. We hear what was said about the revamped programAnd as the start of The World Cup approaches, fans in Colombia are eager to see their national team return to the global tournament. But even as they are getting ready to put on their jersey to show support, the team's colors are getting wrapped up in a political controversy. We go to Bogota, Colombia.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

People in Iran are back online after a government-imposed digital blackout that lasted nearly three months. We hear from Iranians that reconnecting has been bittersweet.And a deadly strike during the first days of the Iran war hit far away in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, jolting a quiet seaside town and showing just how far the conflict's reach extends.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

Raja Ampat is a collection of some 600 islands in Indonesia's West Papua province. It is a beautiful area with clear blue waters and coral reefs that is mostly untouched by development except for the recent growth of a nickel mining industry that has split locals. We go to Raja Ampat and her from people who want mining jobs and those that want to protect the fishing and tourism in the area.  You can see a stunning visual report about Indonesia's nickel mining dilemma at NPR.orgSee 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

After the last few years of war, Israel controls adjacent territory in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Israeli officials say these areas are security buffer zones. But some in Israel want to permanently extend their country's borders, using the Bible as a map.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

Sri Lanka was careening from crisis to crisis, then came the Mideast war. People say they've got no buffer left.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

Mongbwalu, a once-thriving gold-mining town in eastern DRC, is now emerging as the epicenter of the country's latest Ebola outbreak.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 a West Bank spring where Palestinians used to rest and water their flocks, Israeli settlers now swim.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 recent months, a number of fishermen in Ecuador say a U.S.-flagged vessel attacked them at sea and destroyed their boats. Their accounts come amid more than 50 U.S. maritime strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean that have killed nearly 200 people. The Trump administration says the operations are lawful and aimed at alleged narco-traffickers, but has not publicly provided evidence or identified victims. We meet fishing families trying to make sense of what they say happened, and the lives upended in its aftermath.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

Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic minority in China, that number in the millions. Human rights groups have accused China of persecuting Uyghurs because the government fears they have played a role in militant attacks. In today's episode we hear the story of thousands of Uyghurs who travelled to Syria to gain battlefield experience fighting in the Syrian civil war. Are these people freedom fighters? Or are they the now battle-hardened militants China always feared?This story was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. You can read more of this reporting at NPR.org.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

Climate change is making rainfall in Britain heavier and more erratic, meaning places that used to be dry are flooding regularly. So communities are reintroducing a creature that was hunted to extinction 400 hundred years ago. Beavers are working as little climate warriors, building their dams and reducing flooding. We meet some.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

The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency because of an outbreak of Ebola centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has so far likely killed over 130 people and sickened more than 600. The size of the new outbreak raises questions about whether there were delays in detection. We'll hear about this outbreak and about the U.S. role in containing the last major instance of the virus spreading, in 2014.Click here to read more reporting about this outbreak from NPR's Global Health Team.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

Cuba's government says the Caribbean island nation has run out of oil, following a months-long energy blockade by the U.S. in hopes of forcing political change. We hear about what might happen next for Cubans.And the State Department is changing the way the U.S. diplomats talk about migration and refugees, embracing the "Great Replacement" theory promoted by white nationalists. 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

It has been more than four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a war that has been grinding on without major changes in battle lines, but the conflict may have reached a turning point. There are signs that Russians are growing weary of the military operation and Ukraine has improved its drone technology, hitting deeper inside Russian territory. We hear from NPR reporters in Kyiv and Moscow.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

President Trump's recent decision to withdraw at least five thousand troops from Germany has sent shockwaves through a Bavarian town that, for decades, has hosted U.S. troops and may now lose its main source of revenue. We speak to residents.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

Jonathan Pollard worked as an analyst for the U.S. Navy in the 1980s. He spent 30 years behind bars in the U.S., convicted for spying for Israel. Now he has announced he's running for Israel's Parliament. Our correspondent talks to him.And cigarette smoking among men is ingrained in Chinese culture. We meet some women who are trying to change that.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

Over a year ago, President Trump started imposing tariffs on China as part of “Liberation Day”. There was a back-and-forth escalation and at one point the tariffs on China peaked at 145%. A truce was eventually declared and the temperature on the tariff war cooled, but there were lasting effects for manufacturers in both countries. Trump is in China this week and trade is on the agenda. We look at the long-term impact of the tariff war on a factory in the U.S. and one in China.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

President Trump has been using a wide range of tactics in the war with Iran in an effort to force the country to bend to U.S. demands. But experts say the seesaw may be hampering efforts to reach a deal.And nearly all of Iran's population has been cut off from the internet since the war began. But certain people have stayed connected this entire time. We look at Iran's internet haves and have nots.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

President Trump heads to China this week in an effort to stabilize the relationship between the two great powers. But the war in Iran hangs over the visit.And as part of the struggle with the U.S. for global dominance, China has been expanding it's nuclear arsenal, doubling its size in the last decade. We look at the history of their program and why it is growing now.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

Russia's annual celebration of Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, is traditionally a huge celebration in Moscow's Red Square featuring a parade with missiles, tanks and other military hardware. But this year the holiday has been scaled back considerably due to fears of Ukrainian drone attacks. Our correspondent in Moscow says the move is a symbol of Russians' growing frustrations with the war.And on the occasion of his 100th birthday we have an appreciation of iconic nature documentarian David Attenborough.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 Nairobi, Kenya, tricked-out buses known as, “matatus,” roll through the streets, entertaining both passengers and passers-by. Matatu buses bump with heavy bass over their sound systems, and are painted up with mural montages. It's a rolling dance club and mobile art gallery in one. 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

Although there is officially a ceasefire, fighting in south Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah has escalated recently. According to the U.N. attacks this week have been the most intense since the truce started.And a family mourns the loss of their ancestral home in southern Lebanon, when their whole village was levelled by Israel during the conflict.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

Senior career diplomats at the U.S. State Department are effectively being forced into retirement. It's a loss of talent that one former diplomat calls a “unilateral disarmament”.  And we visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum outside Cairo, which was more than 30 years in the making.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

The U.S military has begun an operation to end Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in an effort and re-open the waterway to global shipping traffic. The U.S. Navy says it came under fire Monday, but helped two commercial ships safely through the strait. Iran meanwhile, reaffirmed that it will attack any ships that try to go through the strait of Hormuz without its permission. We hear from two NPR reporters about what this development means for global trade and the ceasefire.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

From fuel to food, fertilizer and flights, the fallout from the Iran war is reshaping the global economy. We hear from reporters in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America on the ways it's affecting their regions and how they're coping.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

After more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the destruction there is overwhelming. According to the United Nations, most buildings there have been damaged or destroyed, and many bodies remain buried under rubble. Crews have begun efforts to recover those remains, including victims from one of the war's deadliest Israeli attacks, which occurred in late 2024. NPR investigated that attack, on an apartment building in Gaza, and mapped a family tree of 132 relatives killed there. The Israeli military said, after the strike, it had been targeting “an enemy spotter,” but it did not provide any evidence. Survivors waited more than a year before being able to recover some of the bodies of their loved ones. NPR's reporter in Gaza, Anas Baba, witnessed the recovery efforts.Warning: This story includes graphic descriptions of military strikes and their aftermath.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 today's episode, a rare interview with the leader of a Hindu nationalist group in India known by the acronym RSS. They are the largest far right group in the world and the basis for the party that rules India.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

The relationship between the United States and Cuba hasn't been this tense for decades. Even as the the U.S. is engaged in high-level negotiations in Havana, it is threatening Cuba with military action. It is a threat that is backed up by the recent action the U.S. took in nearby Venezuela, removing that country's leader. We hear from a top Cuban diplomat about how Cuba sees its relationship with the U.S. now. 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

Forty years ago, in April 1986, there was an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was the worst nuclear accident in history. Then the plant was in the USSR, it is part of northern Ukraine now. The accident was a shared trauma for Ukrainians and Russians, but Russia's war on Ukraine has torn them apart. We meet some families who endured the accident and nuclear fallout four decades ago, and are now enduring years of war.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

India has seen a rise in Hindu nationalism in recent years, in it's politics but also in the culture. And India's famed Bollywood film industry has been churning out movies echoing that with movies often featuring macho Hindu men fighting Muslims. We hear about a movie with a very different sensibility which has had a remarkable rise— all the way to the Oscars.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

Since the war with Iran began Ukraine has found itself in an unexpected position. In addition to receiving military aid, it is also a provider. Iran has been attacking it's neighbors with the same type of drones Russia uses against Ukraine. And Ukraine has developed defense technology it can now export to the Middle East. We go to Ukraine to learn more.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

Just before a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was set to expire, President Trump announced on social media that he was extending it. Iran says that a ceasefire is meaningless unless the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is lifted, it sees that blockade as an act of war. And then in the hours after Trump's announcement, Iran attacked at least three ships in the Strait of Hormuz. To understand where the peace process stands we hear from a former top U.S. diplomat in the Middle East.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

We mark this moment in both Gaza and Israel. In Gaza, it has been six months since major hostilities with Israel ended. Aid for the territory's two million residents has resumed but it isn't sufficient and reconstruction has yet to begin. We hear from some residents about their lives today.And Israel celebrates its Independence Day during a rare pause in three conflicts: Gaza, Iran and Lebanon. It is the Gaza war that is the major theme for the country's official celebration.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

As the end of a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran approaches, a separate but intertwined conflict may have an improved chance at peace. Israel and Lebanon have had a fraught relationship for decades. The most recent fighting flared up not long after the war in Iran began. It involves the Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah. Now there is a temporary ceasefire and the two nations are engaging in direct negotiations. There is hope for a peaceful resolution, but they have been here before. In this episode we learn about the history behind this moment with a journalist and author how has covered the Middle East for over 20 years.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

The war in Gaza has hardened positions across the Middle East. But two men say it brought them closer together and convinced them that the "future is peace." That's the title of their new book. NPR's Michele Kelemen speaks to authors Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon.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

For 25 years, ethnic Koreans who called Japan home were lured by propaganda to North Korea. Over 90,000 people heeded the call. They were promised all basic needs, but ended up trapped in North Korea's poverty and starvation. Now, survivors are fighting for justice in court.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

What began as a power struggle between the army and the powerful paramilitary force — former allies in a coup that removed a civilian government — has spiraled into a devastating war. Now entering its fourth year, it has become the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe.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

After U.S.-backed Iraqi and Syrian forces defeated ISIS, its surviving fighters went to prison. Their wives and children were sent to detention camps, where many remain to this day.  NPR visits the last detention camp for ISIS wives and children in an increasingly precarious northeastern Syria.   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