State of the World from NPR

There are rules and norms in place in conflicts meant to shield civilians from the worst harms of war. But human rights groups say lately they're being ignored or broken. Our correspondent has been covering two wars in which many of the laws of war are being flouted.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 go to the borders between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan to see the dried up shores of what was once one of the largest lakes in the world, the Aral Sea. Mismanagement of the rivers that fed the sea because of demand for irrigation in the dry region, caused the Aral Sea to slowly disappear. And now an irrigation project being undertaken by the Taliban government in Afghanistan threatens to disrupt the ecological and economic balance of one of the main sources of water 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

The region drained by the Amazon River, including the Amazon rainforest, is in the second year of a punishing drought. That has led to the lowest water levels in more than 100 years for the Amazon and its major tributaries. Millions of people and an array of wildlife depend on those quickly disappearing waters. We travel to the region to see the effects.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 mystery scrapbook at a Paris flea market and the search for a wartime photographer's identity reveal bravery and sacrifice.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

Japan is the only country where married couples are required to use one surname or family name. Most often it's women who give up their surname and women's rights advocates have fought for decades for the right to use different surnames in marriage. And now proponents are using a new argument to make their point.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 U.S. Justice Department says it has foiled at least four assassination attempts tied to foreign powers in recent years. They're part of a trend of governments attempting to silence their critics overseas. We hear from the target of one of those assassination plots, which was allegedly orchestrated by an Indian intelligence official.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

An upcoming Taiwanese television show, 'Zero Day,' is generating buzz for depicting what a Chinese invasion of the democratic island would be like for everyday citizens.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 the war in Gaza is still on-going, there are calls from inside Israel's right-wing government for a permanent occupation of the Palestinian territory and to allow Jewish settlements there. While the Prime Minister says this is not the government's policy, some say the military's latest moves make it possible. Our correspondent tells us more from the Israel-Gaza border. 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

More than a fifth of Lebanon's population is now displaced, mostly fleeing from the country's south as Israel carries out airstrikes against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah there. With so many people out of their homes, they're taking refuge anywhere they can, including in one of Beirut's most popular nightclubs. Our reporter in Lebanon introduces us to some of the displaced. 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

The former Soviet republic of Moldova narrowly passed a referendum to pursue membership in the European Union. That puts it at odds with Russia, which is accused of meddling in the election. Our correspondent in Moscow tells us what the vote could mean. And we go to the bar in Paris that for over a century has held a U.S. presidential straw poll that is usually accurate.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 takes us to Dahieh, a stronghold of Hezbollah, and an important symbol in the war. This vibrant district of Beirut is hollowed out by weeks of Israeli 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

Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind of the October 7th attack on Israel that lead to the war in Gaza. Israel says its forces killed him in an operation in Gaza. We'll hear reaction to his death, more about who he was, and how his killing might affect the future of the war. 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

The Biden administration has urged Israel to conduct credible, transparent investigations into the Americans' deaths, so far Israel has not prosecuted anyone. We hear from families of those killed, and a member of congress, who think the U.S. Justice Department should be doing 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

Norway is the largest exporter of salmon in the world. And while some of those fish are wild-caught, many are raised in "fish farms"- large cylindrical pens made of nylon in the open water. Sometimes these farmed fish escape, mixing with the local population and causing ecological issues. We see farmed fish in a Norwegian fjord and hear about potential solutions to the problem.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

Britain has closed it's last coal-fired power plant, making the country that pioneered coal power, the first to give it up in favor of cleaner options. We hear about the transition. And a small town in Wales has become the unlikely site of a world-renowned Elvis festival.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

Raneem Hijazi was eight months pregnant when an Israeli airstrike on her apartment in Gaza buried her in rubble, killing eight family members including her young son. Hijazi survived and gave birth that day to a healthy baby girl. But then she was separated from her newborn for months. We hear the story of their difficult time apart.Listen to a special episode featuring more stories of lives changed since last October 7th, in our podcast feed.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

Sudan's war has displaced more than 12 million people and half the country faces starvations. The country's medical services have collapsed leaving a patchwork of charities, local groups and the Sudanese diaspora to try to provide what health care they can. NPR's Africa correspondent takes us to one of the few remaining hospitals, near the Sudanese capital.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 over a week ago, the Israeli military sent ground troops into Lebanon to push the militant group Hezbollah back from the border. Our correspondent got as close a look at this invasion as possible, from a town ten miles from the border. He tells us what he saw.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 year ago, a Hamas-led attack on Israel caused a horrific loss of life, started a war and now the aftermath threatens to further destabilize the region. In that attack, five of Abby Onn's family members were taken hostage. Two were killed, two were released, one remains in captivity. We hear how she and her family are marking the occasion and keeping hope that their final family member will be returned safe. Listen to a special episode featuring stories of lives changed since last October 7th, in our podcast feed.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 October 7th Hamas-led attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza has changed the course of geopolitics and will have far reaching consequences for the world. The events have also upended the lives of countless individuals. Our team of reporters in the region bring us stories of lives changed in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists around the world. 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

Fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group have displaced some 12 million people in one of Africa's biggest countries. Our correspondent travels to Sudan and gives us a glimpse of the devastation the war has caused.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 China celebrates 75 years of Communist Party rule, there is a fight over who gets to tell the history of those years. The party would prefer to make sure the story is a positive one and is exerting power to control that narrative. One high profile example of that is playing out far away, in California.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

Iran launched long-range missiles against Israel, just hours after Israeli forces launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon against Iran's main proxy, Hezbollah. The dramatic escalation is raising fears of an all-out war in the Middle East. We hear from two NPR correspondents in the region. 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

Israel began a series of attacks against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah with pagers and walkie talkies that exploded. They then launched airstrikes targeting the group's leadership. One strike killed Hezbollah's leader of over thirty years, Hassan Nasrallah. The attacks are an effort to prevent Hezbollah from continuing to fire rockets at northern Israel, which it has been doing since the war in Gaza began. Israel's airstrikes are continuing to widen and their military is massing at the border, pointing to a possible ground invasion. We'll hear from our correspondent in Beirut about the feeling on the ground there. We also hear about whether and how Iran might respond. Iran had been arming Hezbollah to counter Israel, and the weakening of the group is a blow to an important proxy of Iran's. 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

The Hackney area of East London is burgeoning with art galleries and cafes. But the neighborhood, like many places that are appealing to young professionals, is rapidly losing families with children. And some experts say it's a bad sign for the future. We go to Hackney to understand the problem.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 between Israel and Hamas in Gaza approaches the one year mark. Violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to escalate. And there are fears that Iran will get deeply involved with these conflicts. In a volatile moment in the region, Jordan balances a unique set of relationships with all these countries. We hear from Ayman Safadi, who is Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, about what he thinks it will take to end the conflicts. For more coverage of differing views on these conflicts, 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 the war in Ukraine drags on, the U.S. military is keeping a close eye on how drones are changing the conflict. They are used by both Russia and Ukraine to watch troop movements, identify targets and drop bombs. We go to the woods of Louisiana to see what lessons the U.S. Army is incorporating into its training and understand what it might mean for future wars.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 Russia, polls consistently show support for the war in Ukraine somewhere around 70%. But a recent independent study of Russians' opinions indicates the picture is more complex. We hear more from our correspondent in Moscow. And in Ukraine, couples who are separated by the war can now propose and get married online over an app. The service is so popular there is a months-long wait for virtual ceremonies. 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

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon kill over 350 and injure more than 1,000. The attacks were mostly in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah militants have been trading fire across the border with Israel since the war in Gaza began. Our correspondent is there in the south of Lebanon where civilians are fleeing the attacks any way they can.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 building in a residential neighborhood in Beirut was struck by Israel, killing a senior commander with the militant group Hezbollah and ten other fighters, according to the Israeli military. It was the deadliest attack in Beirut in nearly two decades and it comes in the same week Hezbollah militants were targeted by Israel with thousands of exploding pagers and radios. We go to the scene of the strike in Beirut.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 China the government is raising the official retirement age to combat a rapidly shrinking workforce. We hear reaction from Chinese workers. And life in Mexico City presents many challenges for people there. But getting a driving license isn't one of them.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

Life is uncertain for children in war zones. There, school can be a source of stability or just another thing that war obliterates. We hear reports on what school is like in three of the world's most active war zones: Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine. 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

Authorities in Lebanon are blaming Israel for an apparent attack in which pagers, used by Hezbollah in Lebanon, exploded simultaneously. At least nine people were killed, more than 2,700 were injured. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary group backed by Iran, had already been high and there were fears their frequent attacks on each other could escalate into all-out war. We hear about what this all could mean from our correspondent 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

A rape case in France involving a woman whose ex-husband is on trial for drugging her and recruiting other men to sexually assault her. Now thousands have turned out to support her and many are asking hard questions about the culture that allowed this to happen for 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

The Security Council is the United Nations' most powerful body, with the ability to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force. There are five permanent members of the council: Russia, France, China, the U.S and Britain. And any one of those permanent members can veto council resolutions. The U.S. is proposing expanding the number of permanent members, including two permanent seats for African countries. We talk to the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. about the proposal. And Seoul, South Korea is such a massive city, residents looking to experience nature can face a long journey to reach the countryside. As a result, the city's parks are catering to urban campers who want to sleep outdoors closer to home. We meet some of them.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

Cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate, are mostly grown in a few places making them susceptible to the effects of extreme weather events, driven by climate change. We hear about a team in Germany that is developing a chocolate made without cocoa.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's been two years since the death of a woman in the custody of Iran's morality police led to protests across the country. The brutal government crackdown that followed continues today- with artists, journalists and activists targeted. NPR's Jackie Northam brings us the voices of some of those affected.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

Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank say springs are taken over by Israeli settlers and taps in towns barely run. And in Britain, Princess Catherine Announces She's Completed Chemotherapy. 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 ruling Taliban in Afghanistan issued a sweeping morality law in August. Among other things, it bans women's voices outside the home: no laughing, speaking loudly or singing. Afghan women outside the country are protesting the restriction by posting videos of themselves singing. We hear from some of them.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 has been nearly a week of protests in Israel following the death of six hostages held by Hamas. They're calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas, bringing the remining hostages held in Gaza home. But so far, no deal has been reached. We talk about how Israelis view their prime minister with Anshel Pfeffer, correspondent for The Economist and author of a biography of Netanyahu.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

Last month in Bangladesh, street protests grew into a movement that eventually ended the rule of the autocratic prime minister. Now the country is picking up the pieces and charting a new way forward. We board a double-decker bus in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, to talk to Bangladeshis about the future.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 contentious fight in Mexico right now over constitutional reforms that would remake the judiciary. Opponents say the changes would weaken the judiciary's independence, but Mexicans elected a government with a super-majority, making these changes possible. Our correspondent in Mexico asks: in a democracy, what if the majority is wrong?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 mourns six hostages, who were captured during the October 7th attacks by Hamas, and found by the Israeli military in Gaza, recently killed. We go to the funeral of one of the hostages, in Jerusalem. And in Gaza, nearly all residents have been displaced multiple times by evacuation orders from the Israeli military, into so-called humanitarian safe zones. We get a glimpse of what life is like in these overcrowded areas. 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

In the summer of 1944, as American and Allied soldiers celebrated the liberation of France from the Nazis, one French family experienced a trauma that would be felt for generations. A murder and sexual assault so traumatic they are only now coming to terms with it, 80 years later. And this wasn't an isolated incident. We hear their story.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 the war drags on, families of hostages who have been held in Gaza for nearly eleven months are becoming increasingly frustrated and angry. Some of them release some of their pain by yelling their loved ones names into Gaza, in hopes of being heard. And the U.S. pressures Israel to change the way it evacuates civilians from parts of Gaza, amid fears of their safety. 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

Just like in the U.S., Amazon is a big e-commerce presence in India. And also like the U.S., Amazon's fulfillment centers in India have been the subject of complaints of unsafe conditions for workers. To understand what those conditions are like, we hear from some Amazon warehouse workers. Disclosure: Amazon is among NPR's financial supports and pays to distribute some NPR content. NPR covers the company independently as we cover everything else.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

On Wednesday Israel launched raids into the Occupied West Bank, they say to root out Hamas militants and prevent another attack like the one that occurred on October 7th. We hear the latest on those raids. And Israelis who believe the West Bank should be Israeli territory have significantly increased settlement activity since the war in Gaza started. Our correspondent visits some of the outposts.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 island nation of Palau is at the center of tensions between the U.S., China, and Taiwan. We go there to see what the competition between superpowers looks like on the ground.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

At one time, in the 1970's, Watford Football Club in England was at the bottom of the rankings. Then rock superstar Elton John purchased the team and turned their fortunes around. Our London correspondent tells us the tale of the failing soccer club and the rock 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

Work continues towards finding a path to a ceasefire in Gaza. U.S. mediators continue to communicate optimism, while the two sides, Israel and Hamas, seem to downplay the idea that progress is being made on their remaining differences. We hear about one major sticking point. Control of a strip of land in southern Gaza called the Philadelphi Corridor. And the bodies of six Israeli hostages taken captive on October 7th were recovered this week. At funerals we hear friends and family express anger at the Israeli government for not doing enough to bring their loved ones home alive. 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