State of the World from NPR

During its eight years in power, the far-right Law and Justice Party dismantled democratic institutions in Poland. Now the new government is working to restore those institutions and they're starting with the judiciary. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 Russian invasion of Ukraine is marking a grim second anniversary. We hear from Ukrainians who are determined to remain in their homes, and what some Russians say about their country as it enters a third year of waging war on Ukraine. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Ukraine is running out of arms. As Russian troops advance and the war grinds on, foreign aid to buy more weapons is stalled. So Ukraine is making its own. NPR's Joanna Kakissis visits the Ukrainians ramping up the manufacture of mortars, howitzers and high-tech defense weapons. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Alexei Navalny is the latest in a string of critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin to die. So what is the future of Russian opposition? We hear about the challenges Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, will face in taking a leadership role in the opposition. And an interview with Russian politician Boris Nadezhdin, who tried to run against Putin in the upcoming election, but was barred from being on the ballot.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Israel has stepped up security in the occupied West Bank. And with the military focused on Gaza, they're using newly formed security forces made up of Jewish settlers to provide that security. Israeli activists and Palestinians warn that members of those forces want to drive Palestinians off their land. We go to the West Bank city of Hebron to see these new security forces in action. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 hear two stories of how Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza is being felt in places very far away. In India, thousands of workers are hoping to head to Israel because of a shortage caused by security concerns. And in the UK, people are worried that global supply chains disrupted because of the war, will mean there will be a shortage of tea. For more stories from all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdatesTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Alexei Navalny, frequent critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has died in prison according to Russian authorities. Our Moscow correspondent looks at the legacy of a man who fought to free his country from corruption and authoritarianism.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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'll hear from an U.N. administrator in Gaza about what conditions are like for civilians and what funding cuts, a result of Israel's accusations of UN employees' working with Hamas, will mean for humanitarian aid in Gaza. And an unlikely connection between a graffiti artist in Dublin and a grieving mother in Gaza. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdatesTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

When Ukrainian soldiers get a day or two off from the frontlines, loved ones will often take the train to nearby cities to see them. Our reporter shows us what love looks like in a time of war.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

While opioid deaths in the U.S. have soared, Portugal has been able to cut overdose deaths by 80%. We travel there and find that the different outcomes are the result of a different approach. And while you might be able to picture what Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Carnival looks like in the Samabadrome, on the outskirts of the city a very different celebration takes place.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 is creating tensions across the Middle East. Nowhere more so than Iraq, where Iran-backed militias are attacking US bases and forcing a dangerous confrontation. We hear about it from our correspondent in Baghdad.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Some Palestinians in Gaza express rising anger at Hamas, four months after the militant group attacked Israel, prompting a punishing bombardment. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

If all goes as planned, the work by the late composer John Cage will take over 600 years to perform. A specially rigged organ in Germany has been performing the piece since 2001, and it recently struck a new chord in the first time in two years. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 hear from three Palestinians about their hopes and fears of a rebuilt Gaza after the fighting ends. We get perspectives from an architect, a humanitarian and a musician. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 hear about a kindergarten in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which has finally resumed, holding classes underground in a metro station to keep students safe from Russian attacks.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Among the vast destruction of buildings in Gaza, some historically valuable and irreplaceable sites are now in ruins. Our correspondent visited some of of these places before the war and brings us to them, then and now. To see photos of some of the places referenced in this story and for more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 Gazans in crisis, a West Bank emergency call center is one of the few remaining sources of help. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdatesTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Tensions and talk of war are escalating between North and South Korea. Our correspondent in Seoul explains why the temperature has increased and he takes us to an island near the maritime border between North and South Korea that has seen clashes in the past.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 small Gulf nation of Qatar recently announced a framework for a deal between Israel and Hamas to pause the fighting in Gaza. We sit down with the Prime Minister of Qatar to hear how soon a deal could be reached and what impact the recent killing of U.S. servicemembers has had on the negotiations. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdatesTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 launches hundreds of missiles at Ukraine every month. We hear the story of one such attack, that destroyed a well-known hotel and changed the life of one young woman. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 source of anguish for both Israeli and Palestinian families in nearly four months of the Gaza war, is the large number of hostages and prisoners taken by each side. Thousands of family members in the dark about the fate of their loved ones. So they're trying to reach them through Israeli and Palestinian radio. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 the rise of K-pop and K-drama, Korean haute cuisine is also going global. We hear that it's the result of an evolution of the food, creative chefs and a touch of crafty support from the government.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

There is a small but growing anti-war movement in Israel and it includes mothers of those serving in the Israeli military. We hear why they're protesting. And an American chemist's book about tea provokes a strong reaction in Britain. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 hear of the saga of the mango pineapple, an exclusive new pineapple cultivar from Taiwan that was allegedly stolen by China. It shows the economic ties between two places that are also adversaries and the incident is prompting questions about how far Beijing will go to coerce Taiwan — and who really owns the food we eat.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 look at the economic impacts caused by the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. In Israel, the call-up of military reserves has led to a severe labor shortage. In the West Bank, curtailed economic activity with Israel has taken a toll. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 talk to a Russia expert who is keeping tabs on what is going on in the roughly 18% of Ukraine that Russia now controls. He says that an "administrative occupation" seeks to incorporate the people that live in those areas into Russian politics and culture. And that with U.S. and Western aid for Ukraine in doubt, there is a chance these areas could be lost for good.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 Northern India, Prime Minister Modi consecrates a temple to the Hindu god Ram. The event is meant to draw support ahead of spring elections, but it also highlights the growing rift between Hindu nationalists and Muslim communities.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Grain export is a vital part of the Ukrainian economy and Russian attacks and threats on ports have come close to shutting it down. We go to one Ukrainian port, barely used before the war, which has now become crucial.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 over one hundred days since the war between Israel and Hamas began with an attack on Israel October 7th, killing over 1,200 with more than two hundred Israelis taken hostage. Israel responded with a ground, air and sea offensive on Gaza that has killed thousands and displaced many more. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas. We investigate whether, after a hundred days, Israel is any closer to that goal. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdatesTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Taiwan held a close and closely watched election for president that has implications for the self-ruled island's relationship with China, which claims Taiwan as it's own. And Guatemala swore in a new president, the anti-corruption campaigner Bernardo Arevalo. But opponents tried to prevent the transfer of power up to the last minute. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 Pakistan, a dolphin species that's lived in the Indus River for millions of years was facing near-extinction. Now, thanks to the help of nearby fisher-people, the dolphin is making a fragile recovery. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 series of strikes in Yemen were against the Houthis, an Iran-backed military group, that had been attacking military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, in what they said was retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza. We hear from our national security correspondent and a international trade expert on the strikes and their economic implications.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Taiwan elects a president this weekend and while the government in China believes Taiwan should be under its control, we hear that people in China hold a variety of views about the island next door. And the story of a Palestinian artist in Gaza who continues to make art amid destruction and displacement. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Poland has been one of Ukraine's strongest allies in its fight against Russia. But the two countries are now in a border dispute over trucking. Polish truckers are blocking thousands of Ukrainian trucks waiting to return home. We go to the border and talk to truckers on both sides of the dispute.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Taiwan has an important election coming up and we hear that relations with China is one of the main things on the minds of many voters. And though China is much bigger and more powerful than Taiwan, the island does wield influence in China when it comes to pop culture.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Hundreds of Nepalese have travelled to Russia to join the army. They've been lured by the promise of employment and Russian citizenship. Some say they were told they wouldn't be doing risky jobs, but once they arrive they say they were sent to the front line to fight in Ukraine. Reporter Shalu Yadav went to Nepal and spoke to families of those who died fighting in Ukraine.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Ghana began encouraging people of African descent from around the world to move to the country in 2019, calling it the "Year of Return". They even created settlements for the people who took them up on the offer, giving out free land. But our correspondent talks to locals who say their farm land was stolen to give to foreigners.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Israel's Prime Minister has vowed to fight until the "definitive victory over Hamas". But what is actually achievable? Our correspondent in Tel Aviv examines what it will take for Israel to declare mission accomplished in Gaza, and end the war. And Uber is trying to win over cab drivers in London, who have resisted the company for years. We talk to cabbies to see if they might succeed.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Inside China, the state is cracking down queer and feminist groups... so some are staging their own events in New York City. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.orgTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Greece says Britain should return sculptures taken from the Acropolis and a Turkish archeological dig uncovers Roman churches, temples, and canals. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.orgTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Two stories about Africa's art and music. We hear from a rapper who raises awareness of the war in Sudan. And attend an influential art festival in Lagos.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 Ukrainian village with divided loyalties reels from both the loss of life following a missile attack and the loss of trust in their community.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

NPR's Eyder Peralta brings exclusive reporting from Nicaragua, which has become one of the most authoritarian countries in the Western Hemisphere, and bars foreign journalists. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.orgTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Hollywood left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. However, improbably, Barbie was a huge hit in the country. Our correspondent in Moscow examines the phenomenon.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Surviving climate threats demands adaptation. In Bangladesh, an engineer and a housewife improvised their own early warning system for historic floods. And villagers in Pakistan are revisiting an old tradition of growing their own glaciers. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.orgTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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 visit Guedelon Castle in Burgundy, France. A 26 year-old building project, dedicated to training workers in medieval construction techniques and teaching visitors about history.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

German economists and politicians have warned German companies to not rely so heavily on Chinese businesses, advocating "de-risking". We go to Germany's industrial heartland where business leaders have found that advice hard to follow.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Ukraine is been at war for nearly 22 months, with airports closed and many sea ports blockaded. Yet NPR's Nathan Rott has found sushi in the country is widely available. And, he says, that says something about the supply chain and the resilience of the Ukrainian economy. Support the NPR Network by joining State of the World+ or by giving a tax-deductible donation. And thank you! To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

U.S. officals have been increasingly public in their appeals to Israel to limit casualties in Gaza, but so far nothing has changed. So what does this say about the relationship between the U.S. and Israel now? We hear from a retired diplomat with long experience in the region.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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

Even as Ukraine continues to battle Russia, funding from the West is in doubt. We hear from some Ukrainians who are nervous about the funding. And the former Soviet state of Georgia has been partially occupied by Russia since 2008. We hear about Georgia's delicate balance between Russia and the West. Support the NPR Network by joining State of the World+ or by giving a tax-deductible donation. And thank you!To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: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