State of the World from NPR

China scholars in the U.S. compare China's Cultural Revolution and current American dynamics, and see similarities between MAGA and what's called 'the China Dream.' 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

Recently a few hundred people gathered at a Damascus hotel to discuss how to jump-start Syria's tech industry. That sector was basically non-existent during Syria's long civil war. Our correspondent attended the conference and met a young man who fled Syria during the civil war and now is a graduate student at Stanford. His journey illustrates both the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead for Syria.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 two month ceasefire in Gaza has come to an end with Israel conducting airstrikes, killing five Hamas officials along with over 400 others, including many children. The Israeli military has also restarted ground operations in Gaza, sending troops back to areas they had withdrawn from. They say they want Hamas to agree to a new ceasefire deal and release more hostages. But many Israelis are opposed to this return to war. We hear what this resumption of fighting sounds like in Gaza from our producer there. Warning, this episode contains graphic descriptions 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

President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia held a lengthy phone call on Tuesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. This is part of Trump's efforts to end the Russia's war in Ukraine and while he didn't get a ceasefire agreement, some progress was made. We hear the latest. And in Ukraine, people are watching these and other developments with concern, skepticism, and with dark humor.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 Germany's national elections a few weeks ago, one statistic stood out to our Berlin-based correspondent: almost half of young German voters cast their ballot for either the far-right or far-left parties. And the divide between extreme left and extreme right in young people seems to fall along gender lines. We try to find out why it seems the youth in Germany are moving to the extremes.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 Syria about a decade ago, while the Assad regime was focused on crushing an uprising that challenged its rule, it faced a problem. It had too many children in detention, who had been swept up when their mothers were arrested. An NPR investigation has found that hundreds of children were separated from family and placed in orphanages around Damascus by government intelligence agents. They ordered the orphanages to keep this a secret. Now that the Assad regime has fallen, families are searching the Syrian capital for their missing children. We go to Damascus to learn more.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

President Trump has derided aid the U.S. provides overseas as rife with fraud. His administration has moved aggressively to eliminate such funding including cancelling contracts already in progress. This is all being challenged in court but the effects are being felt acutely by those providing the aid on the ground in foreign countries. We hear from three providers in Africa.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

With the U.S. undertaking a tariff war with countries like China, India sees and opening. As goods from China sold in the U.S. get more expensive, India hopes to lure away manufacturers. But can they do that while avoiding being hit with U.S. tariffs themselves? We go to an Indian manufacturing hub to see what the strategy looks like.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 a part of Syria that had been a stronghold of deposed dictator Bashar Al-Assad, there has been a wave of violence against Alawites, the religious minority of the Assad family. Hundreds of Alawites have been killed and hundreds more have fled their homes in fear. The episode highlights the challenges the new government in Syria faces in uniting the country. But as we learn from an incident in a different Alawite community, this isn't the first episode of violence against the sect.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

Mark Carney once lead the central bank of Canada and then was tapped to do the same job in England. So he knows a lot about government and finance but he has never held elected office. This weekend he was elected to be head of Canada's Liberal Party which means he'll soon be prime minister. We learn more about the man who takes the job at a time of strained relations with the U.S. And the Palestinian city of Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is so renowned for it's soap that the process of making it has been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. We go to one of the oldest soap factories there.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 many parts of the world skin whitening is a major industry, but women in Nigeria have a particular fondness for creams and lotions that promise to lighten their skin. By one estimate, over 77% of women in the country have used such products. We go to Nigeria and learn that the effects of skin whiteners can be severe and many people who use them are unable to stop.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

Leaders of the European Union have voted to approve a plan to dramatically increase defense spending. The move is a reaction to the U.S. reducing its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia's invasion. We go to Brussels to understand the ramifications. And we hear what the series of recent developments in the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine could mean for peace talks with Russia.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

Today we take a break from the serious and often depressing international news beat to bring you the sound's of Soviet Central Asia in the 1970's and 80's. Our Moscow correspondent introduces us to an anthology of songs that came out of a record factory in Tashkent documenting a wide variety of music from the silk road in that time period.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 Trump administration has made good on it's threat to apply 25% tariffs to the two biggest U.S. trading partners, Mexico and Canada. China also had its tariff increased from 10 to 20 percent. Canada and China are hitting back with retaliatory tariffs and Mexico has promised to follow suit. We hear about the reaction and impact. And the Trump administration has announce it is suspending military aid to Ukraine. Our correspondent in Kyiv says Ukraine is figuring out how it can continue despite losing support from the country's single most important ally.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

Our correspondent takes a look at the near future of the the war with Hamas in Gaza through the eyes of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. He is being pulled in opposite directions politically: President Trump wants the ceasefire in Gaza to continue, while influential right-wing members of Netanyahu's political coalition want fighting to resume.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 Palestinian man serving 18 life sentences for a pair of bus bombings in 2004 speaks to NPR days after his release. And, the average person in Lagos, Nigeria, spends over 6 hours of their day in traffic - have new Chinese-backed railways made a difference?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 Trump administration has been dismantling the US Agency for International Development, and the headquarters have been closed for weeks. But, on Thursday, workers got to go back to their desks - to clean them out and leave.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

Brazilians are flocking to the theaters to see its Oscar-nominated film I'm Still Here. It tells the story of a family devastated by the military dictatorship that ruled from 1964. There has never been a truth commission to investigate abuses or prosecutions of those accused of wrongdoing during a two-decade-long rule. Advocates hope the film might lead to a better understanding of that dark 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

During the Assad regimes, Western nations placed crippling economic sanctions on the country. Some have been lifted, but most are still in place, so how does a country shattered by civil war rebuild? And we follow the return to Damascus of one US Syrian Jewish leader, after decades in exile. 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 man poised to become Germany's new Chancellor says the US administration doesn't care about the fate of Europe. And, on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine what has been the impact of the largest conflict in Europe since the second world 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

We remember Paquita la del Barrio, who sang about romantic heartbreak and the pain of infidelity, spitting out insults with relish, and empowering a whole generation of women. Our correspondent in Mexico explains what she meant to her fans.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 14 years of a devastating civil war, Syria is in the process of reinventing itself. One big question is how the country will be governed now that the more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family has come to an end. For clues on what the future might hold, our correspondent goes to the city that was run by a rebel group during the war. That group led the toppling of the Assad regime and now controls the interim 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

Germany's economy boomed as the world underwent globalization. But since then, too little investment, too much bureaucracy and a nearby war in Ukraine has cause Europe's largest economy to stagnate. The issue has played a big role in the upcoming German election. Our Berlin correspondent tells takes us to a German factory.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

Ireland considers becoming the first western country to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The move is controversial, but Ireland has a history of leading the way with effective boycotts. We hear about the past and present of Irish activism.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

Members of the Trump Administration will meet with counterparts from Russia this week to discuss a possible peace deal with Ukraine. Notably, the Ukrainians are absent from these talks. Other European nations are also not invited, even though as a whole Europe gives Ukraine more aid money than the United States. We get updates from three NPR reporters covering various parts of the story. And we meet a street sweeper in Mexico with a golden voice who became an overnight pop star. 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

Syria is reinventing itself following a 14-year bloody civil war and the rapid crumbling of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad regime in December. As NPR's Emily Feng travelled the country reporting on the new Syria, she kept seeing one man's face on flags, posters and vehicles everywhere she went. So, she decided to find out more about him.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

Giving a bouquet of flowers to your beloved is a classic Valentine's Day gesture of love. But as we hear from our correspondent in Colombia, growing those flowers comes at a steep environmental cost.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

President Trump had separate phone calls with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine on the same day. Following the calls, Trump posted on social media that both leaders want peace and he said that he wanted negotiations on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine to begin immediately. We hear about what this could mean from NPR's White House correspondent. We also hear about how the U.S. relationship with NATO is expected to change under Trump.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

President Trump has made clear his desire for the U.S. to take Greenland saying the territory is vital to U.S. economic security. Greenland is an autonomous territory of U.S. ally Denmark. And as we hear, Danes have had a variety of reactions to Trumps words.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 Trump administration is dismantling the United States Agency for International Development, USAID. They had been doing humanitarian work in more than 100 countries. We hear from NPR correspondents around the world about what the agency had been doing on the ground and what it's elimination could mean.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 musical diva of the Arab world is commemorated in Paris. And tariff threats have Prosecco lovers stocking up.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

West Bank residents react to President Trump's plan for the U.S. to take ownership of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and relocate nearly 2 million people from there. And Gaza's police were hit hard by Israel in the war against Hamas, but the force is back providing law and order after a ceasefire in the conflict.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. Secretary of State Marco Rubio makes his inaugural international trip to Central America. In Colombia, fighting erupts between rival guerilla factions, displacing tens of thousands.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 US-Canada trade war is averted for now, but Canada is roiling from Trump's remarks. In China, Lunar New Year celebrations were already subdued from economic concerns even before new U.S. tariffs and Beijing's retaliatory response. 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

Netanyahu's visit to the White House makes him the first world leader to meet President Trump since the inauguration. Their meeting occurs as the future of Gaza, the wider Middle East, and Netanyahu himself are hanging in the balance. You can also find all our reporting on this conflict at 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

Rebel forces continue to claim more Congolese territory coveted for its rich mineral resources. In Myanmar, former leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi remains jailed and the country is mired in a brutal civil 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

9 out of ten cars sold in Norway are EV's. Government incentives and a commitment to charging stations have made Norway a world leader in electric vehicle use. 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 if Greenland were for sale, buying the Artic territory would be complicated. And French President Emmanuel Macron promises to renovate the Louvre, which is falling into disrepair.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 Producer Anas Baba walks home to Northern Gaza, as Palestinians are allowed to return as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel and Hamas. And, a month after the fall of the Al-Assad regime, Syrians are euphoric, but face a shattered economy and fragile security. 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

Thousands of Afghans Are in Limbo as the U.S. Halts Its Refugee Program. Colombia Agrees to Accept Migrant Flights After Tariff Threats. 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

Thieving monkeys thrive in the Indian holy town Vrindavan. The problem has gotten worse after rapid development. Locals say instead of relying on charity, monkeys are turning to crime.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

Colombian conductor Andres Orozco-Estrada exuberantly connects with concert-goers at a time when classical music is struggling to maintain its audience.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 vowed to remove Hamas from power when it went to war in Gaza, following the attacks on Israel in October, 2023. With a temporary ceasefire in place we're able to see if they've reached that goal and it seems Hamas is still deeply entrenched in Gaza. We'll hear more about who is taking charge as the dust settles and what the future of governance in the territory might be.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 fragile ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since Sunday, bringing an end to the fighting between Israel and Hamas at least temporarily. Some Palestinians are feeling safe enough to return to homes they fled during the way. Our producer in Gaza returns to the southern city of Rafah, the site of an intense bombing campaign. There, many are returning to their homes to find utter destruction. 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

As President Trump takes office he inherits two international conflicts in which the United States is deeply involved. On the campaign trail he said he would be able to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Last month he said there would be "hell to pay" if Hamas and Israel did not reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal before he assumed office. A temporary and fragile ceasefire began on Sunday. We hear from NPR correspondents in Israel, Russia and Ukraine to hear about those countries' expectations for the Trump presidency. 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 incoming Trump administration has promised sweeping deportations of undocumented people and little empathy for those seeking refuge in the U.S. Despite that, migrants continue to make the dangerous journey north through Mexico to get to the U.S. border. We hop on a freight train with some migrants to find out why.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

Just one day after the announcement of a deal between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza, Israel's prime minister threatened to delay a cabinet vote to approve the deal. He later relented and scheduled a vote. To understand the politics behind the deal and how the U.S. will be involved in its implementation we hear from Aaron David Miller. He once represented the U.S. in peace negotiations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. You can find all our reporting on this conflict at 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

A ceasefire deal has been announced that would end more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. We learn about the details, how the agreement was reached and hear reaction from Israelis and Palestinians. We also look at what the war has meant for both sides and for the Middle East region. For more coverage of this conflict and the latest developments, please come back to this feed. You can also 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

The city of Kherson in southern Ukraine is a key objective for Russia. Its military shells the city's neighborhoods daily and sends drones buzzing over the streets. We go out with a Ukrainian military unit that seeks to disrupt the Russians under the cover of darkness. And we also take a look at how three years of war have shaped Ukraine's children.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 fight for power happening among Palestinian groups in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, has spent weeks weeks besieging the Jenin refugee camp. The tussle is also a fight over different visions for the Palestinian people. 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