State of the World from NPR

Life has changed recently in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Residents there had gotten used to periodic Russian airstrikes happening maybe once or twice a week. But now the attacks are more constant using drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, even hypersonic missiles - not only during the night, but now during the day. We hear from the mayor of Kyiv.And while Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping up his assault on Ukraine, he’s also professing support for Iran amid its conflict with the U.S. and Israel. But as NPR’s reporter in Moscow tells us, it’s unclear just how far that partnership goes.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

The U.S. and Venezuela say they have entered into a partnership that would give the U.S. majority control of more that 65 billion barrels worth of oil reserves. President Trump hopes to lower energy costs in the U.S., Venezuela’s leaders hope to bring investment and keep the unpopular U.S.-backed interim president in power. But given the U.S. oil industry’s past experiences in Venezuela, it’s not clear when, or if, that oil gets to U.S. gas pumps.And it was a weekend of violence in the Israeli Occupied West Bank, with multiple assaults on Palestinians reported and one on a U.S. news crew. The attacks by Israeli settlers were condemned by both Israeli and U.S. officials, but no arrests were made. We go to the West Bank.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

Since the October 7th, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, much has happened with the U.S.’s key ally in the Middle East. Israel launched an invasion of Gaza and then Lebanon. The U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran.So, how do Americans feel about Israel now? And vice versa? Four years ago, 67 percent of Americans had a favorable view of Israelis, according to Pew Research Center. Last month, that number was 52 percent. To get beyond the numbers, we hear how Americans and Israelis talk about each other in Washington and Jerusalem.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

Just like in the United States and elsewhere, workers in China are worried about artificial intelligence taking away their jobs. So they are fighting back. This summer, acourt in the Chinese city of Guangzhou sided with a graphics designer who was replaced by AI, ruling his dismissal was unlawful. Similar court decisions have happened across several Chinese cities and are being hailed as victories for workers’ rights. But with China’s push to win the AI race, workers still have plenty to be anxious about. We go to China to learn more.And in Rwanda, if you want to grab a tall cold one at the end of the day, your beverage very well might be milk. Milk bars are a part of daily life and the drink holds cultural significance. But, this popular beverage may be causing problems for the population. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

After the U.S. and Israel launched the war in Iran, and Iran responded by attacking U.S. targets in the region, hundreds of U.S. diplomats were evacuated from embassies in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and half a dozen other countries. Some of those embassy staff may start returning to their posts soon, however the State Department is still limiting the number of personnel in the Middle East as the war in Iran drags on. NPR’s Diplomatic Correspondent tells us what that reduced presence means for U.S. interests.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

In July, Iraq’s new prime minister visited Washington. There he promised President Trump that Iraq would disarm Iran-backed militias by the end of September. Many of those militias attacked U.S. troops during their occupation of Iraq and since the U.S.- Iran war, some of these paramilitary groups have hit U.S. assets. But for a country with close ties to neighboring Iran, it’s a tough promise for Iraq to keep. We go to Baghdad to see how the country is balancing its relationship between the two powers.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

The family of a Palestinian American man have been under siege in their home in the occupied West Bank. Extremist Israeli settlers attacked the home for days and the Israeli military has now sealed off the area. A United Nations agency was called in to deliver food, water and medicine to the family. We hear from a family member now trapped in the house.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

In China, top leaders are pushing the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. Companies there are using AI at a scale that far outpaces that of the US. That means some Chinese workers are being displaced from their jobs. Now, Chinese courts are stepping in. And in some cases, courts are ruling that worker displacement is unlawful. But Chinese workers are still anxious.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

A trash-can wearing comedian is far-right Nigel Farage’s main rival in this week’s Parliamentary election in the British town of Clacton-on-Sea. Farage is the incumbent, and his campaign finances are under investigation. Polls show Farage is still likely to win, but that Count Binface — a spoof candidate who wears a garbage pail on his head — may get around 20-percent of the vote. Some say Binface’s relative popularity is a reflection of voter disaffection. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

Switzerland might be thought of as the land of snow-capped alps and incredibly good chocolate. But it is also a world leader in underground nuclear bunkers with more than 370,000 of them. There are enough for each of Switzerland’s nine million citizens to be guaranteed a space in one. But why? We go to the alpine country to find out.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

The West Bank is a Palestinian territory between Israel and Jordan that been under Israeli military occupation since 1967. For decades Israeli Jewish settlers have been creating settlements there, taking more and more of the West Bank away from Palestinians. This has the support of Israel’s far right government, which faces a possible loss of power in an October election, and that’s led to a frenzy of settlement activity. The government has legalized past settlements under Israeli law and approved new ones in areas that are supposed to be under Palestinian civil control. We go to the West Bank, where Palestinian residents say they feel like they’re being encircled by settlers trying to take their land, sometimes violently.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

Seven months ago, Iran unleashed a deadly crackdown on protesters who were demanding an end to the 47-year-old theocratic regime. At least 7,000 people were confirmed killed over the course of two days, according human rights groups say, although they warn the death toll is likely closer to 20,000. Those events were cited as one of the U.S. government’s justifications for going to war with Iran— a war that is still dragging on.Internet blackouts and continued fear of government retribution have made getting a full picture of the crackdown difficult. We try to get a better understanding of the extent of the killings by hearing from some eyewitnesses.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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

Firefighters have been working day and night to extinguish fires that have devoured more than 100,000 acres around Bordeaux. Cubans have historically looked to the U.S. to escape their country’s economic woes. But with legal immigration pathways to the U.S. narrowing, some Cubans are increasingly looking south — to Brazil. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.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