State of the World from NPR

A single bacteria in a pregnant person’s microbiome can signal whether their baby is at risk for premature birth. Lower levels of a bacteria called Prevotella copri indicated a greater chance a woman would not carry her pregnancy to full term. Researchers in Pakistan called the discovery a “Eureka moment” for them.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 years ago, people left what is now Taiwan on boats to roam and settle on islands throughout the Pacific. This summer a group of Indigenous Taiwanese modern-day voyagers decided to recreate the journey in a large rowboat from one of Taiwan’s islands all the way to the Philippines in an effort to reconnect with their ancient seafaring heritage. We go to the island where they prepare for their journey.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 longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing a major political test this fall. After three years of war and growing public frustration, a former military chief is emerging as an unlikely challenger, offering voters a different vision for the country’s leadership. We look at how an outsider with deep security credentials is tapping into a desire for change — and what his rise could mean for Netanyahu’s political future.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

Swifts have nested in Jerusalem’s Western Wall since it was built over 2,000 years ago. But that ancient site is now surrounded by a modern city. And the birds are finding help adapting from an unexpected source: an Israeli paraglider.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 Iran have resumed striking each other for more that a week, ever since the collapse of a ceasefire deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan, the country that helped mediate the first ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is being asked to play the same role again. We look at how this peace role represents a remarkable turn of fortune for Pakistan.And if Pakistan is able to negotiate a new ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, will Iranian hardliners allow it to go into place? Do they have the clout to stop it? We examine were hardliners fall in the current Iranian regime.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 UK gets its seventh prime minister in the last decade. In a familiar ceremony, Keir Starmer, who was ousted by his own Labour Party tendered his resignation to King Charles at Buckingham Palace. The party’s new leader, Andy Burnham, was then given an audience with the King who invited Burnham to form a new government. We learn about Burnham, whose political career has been shaped by England’s North-South divide.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 reasons given for the U.S. launching a war with Iran have shifted over time. But regardless of why the war started, the fighting between the U.S. and Iran is now largely over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, about a fifth of the world’s oil passed freely through the narrow international waterway. Now Iran controls the strait. We look at this threat to the freedom of navigation and whether it sets a a dangerous precedent for other waterways. This episode is Global Affairs Correspondent Jackie Northam’s last story for NPR, she is retiring. Jackie has covered world events for NPR for decades from nearly every continent and just about every global conflict. You can hear Jackie reflecting on her remarkable career this recent episode of the Consider This podcast.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 United States has been at war for more than 20 of the last 25 years. Afghanistan, Iraq and now Iran. Three major conflicts, all in the same region, and none of those conflicts have gone nearly as well as U.S Presidents said they would. We look at why the U.S. is so often at war and why it is finding them so hard to win.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

China’s northeast region borders Russian Siberia and North Korea. It’s a cold, vast area known for its gritty industrial history. But now the northeast is also the source of some of the country’s most popular music, literature, comedy and culture. And it’s come to represent both nostalgia for China’s past and apprehension for the country’s economic future. 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

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California made a trip to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank last week. There he says he was stopped and not allowed to leave for over an hour by armed Israeli settlers and then Israeli soldiers. He says he was only allowed to continue after contacting the U.S. embassy in Israel. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee later called his trip a “stunt” and said Khanna went to a military-controlled area without prior clearance. Israeli officials have also countered Representative Khanna’s narrative. We hear about this incident from Congressman Ro Khanna himself. 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

One of the most sought after weapons in the world is the Patriot air-defense system, developed by the US. It is considered to be among the most effective air defense systems having been tested in war-time situations by countries from the Middle East to Eastern Europe. In a rare move, President Trump announced at a recent NATO summit that the US will share the technology with Ukraine. The problem is that the Patriot defense system is difficult to produce, so takes a long time to get production up to speed and it is expensive. We hear what this development might mean for Ukraine’s war with Russia from Seth Jones, he’s the President of the Defense and Security Department at Center for Strategic and International Studies.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

Speaking at a meeting of NATO, President Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is over, but he is open to negotiations. That statement came after days of renewed airstrikes between the two sides. We know President Trump wants a deal to help bring down oil prices ahead of midterm elections, Iran stands to lose out on billions of dollars without the deal. We hear about the stakes for Iran on the ceasefire collapsing.We also hear from a retired U.S. four-star general on what the four months of war with Iran have meant for U.S. military readiness in the Middle East.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Gaza strip has been split in half ever since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect in October, 2025. Israel’s military occupies the east and 2 million Palestinians are squeezed into the remaining half along Gaza’s western coast. But in recent months, despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have been expanding their area of control, pushing deeper into Gaza. They now control at least 65% of the territory. We go to Gaza to understand Israel’s expanding line of control. 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

They’re called “cockroaches”, but the name itself is a dig at the political establishment. It is a political movement in India dominated by Generation Z. They’re demanding political reforms and accountability from the government of prime minister Narendra Modi. We go to New Delhi to understand this youth movement.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 a meeting of NATO leaders begins in Ankara, Turkey we look at the alliance’s relationship at the top level, where messages of unity are challenged by anxieties about President Trump’s commitment to the alliance. And at the ground level, where the militaries of NATO countries conduct joint exercises off the coast of the U.S.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

Six years ago, the Chinese government imposed its national security law on Hong Kong which, among other things, restricted free speech and increased government surveillance on the former British territory. At the time officials said it would only affect a small number of people, but critics say it has transformed life in the city. We go to Hong Kong to see how it has changed.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 United States, a long holiday weekend over the 4th of July celebrates America’s 250th birthday. Recently, NPR’s correspondent in India found an unlikely place that same birthday is being marked. On the back of three-wheeled motorbike taxis known as rickshaws in New Delhi. We investigate.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 remain missing more than a week after the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela and hope for finding survivors is fading into and effort to recover remains. With little help from the government many families are taking it upon themselves to dig through the rubble to find their loved ones. We witness some these efforts on Venezuela’s northern coast.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

Exiled Russian journalist Vladimir Raevsky has used a well-known Russian fairy tale as the basis for his stand-up comedy. It’s called “the realm that never smiled” and it encourages Russian speaking audiences to laugh at their own history as a way to fight authoritarianism.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 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 300 people, putting it on track to become one of the deadliest incidents of Ebola in recent history. We go to the epicenter of the outbreak where overwhelmed clinics and a lack of protective gear leave health workers exposedSee 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 death toll continues to rise in Venezuela after twin earthquakes struck last week devastating coastal areas. The government says more than 1,700 people have been killed. Tens of thousands are still missing.In today’s episode, we’re on the ground in Venezuela to get an understanding of the rescue effort. We’ll hear frustration at the Venezuelan government’s response which many consider slow and poorly coordinated. And we hear the hope of rescue crews and families who are still digging through rubble, looking for a miracle.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 world focused on the war with Iran, Israeli forces steadily took more territory in the Gaza Strip and killed more people last month than at any time this year, according to Gaza health records. More than one thousand Palestinians have been killed in the eight months since President Trump declared the war there was over.We go to Gaza where civilians say they don’t feel safe anywhere, despite the ceasefire.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Earthquakes have caused vast damage in Venezuela, catching residents by surprise in a place not accustomed to temblors. A state of emergency has been declared in Venezuela— a nation that was politically and economically fragile before this natural disaster hit. Rescue workers are searching buildings for survivors as help begins to arrive from nearby countries. We hear from people there and from scientists who say there are some unusual features about this event.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 Ebola outbreak is spreading across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that health experts warn could become one of the largest Ebola outbreaks in recent years. In just over a month, Congo's Ministry of Health says more than 1,000 cases have been confirmed, and more than 250 people have died.The outbreak was first detected in the gold-mining town of Mongbwalu, where health workers began noticing a cluster of mysterious illnesses and deaths earlier this year. By the time authorities officially declared an outbreak in May, the virus had already gained a foothold.Since then, cases have been reported elsewhere in eastern Congo and across the border in Uganda. But Mongbwalu remains one of the outbreak's main hotspots. Health workers there are battling not only the virus itself, but also fear, misinformation, and deep mistrust of medical authorities.We go to ground zero of this Ebola outbreak.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In today’s episode we look at political shifts in two countries. In the U.K., the former mayor of Manchester, England, Andy Burnham, may soon replace British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation. Burnham would be the U.K.'s seventh leader in 10 years.And in Colombia a sharp political turn from a president on the left to one on the far-right, backed by President Trump.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

Now that World Cup games have taken over nearly every television around the globe, today we bring you two stories of World Cup firsts in this year’s tournament. Uzbekistan is the first Central Asian country to appear in the tournament, and we go there to find that their achievement is not an accident and may be a sign of bigger changes underway. And Iran is the first team to play in a host country it is at war with, but while their games are in the U.S., they are being forced to stay and train in Tijuana, Mexico. We go to that city to hear how Mexicans feel about the arrangement.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

India plans to build a major port, airport and town on pristine, remote Great Nicobar Island. Supporters say it could boost trade and jobs, but critics worry about environmental damage.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 recently launched one of the biggest attacks on Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country began. Hundreds of long-range drones were sent towards the Russian capital.This attack illustrates a paradigm shift in the conflict: Ukraine has seized the advantage even though Ukrainian forces are far outnumbered by the the Russian military. They’re doing it largely with drones, like the ones used to attack Moscow.We’ll hear from our correspondent in Moscow about what was targeted and we meet one of the Ukrainian military units that conducts those kinds of drone strikes.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’re learning more about the deal between the U.S. and Iran that’s aims to end hostilities and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. It’s called a Memorandum of Understanding, and it’s a preliminary agreement to set up negotiations for a final deal. Major issues still need to be worked out in those negotiations like the fate of Iran’s nuclear program and lifting U.S. sanctions.Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, President Trump said it’s a very strong deal. But he also threatened to continue bombing if he is unhappy about it’s implementation. But how do Iranians feel about this deal? We hear from hardliners, Iranians who oppose their government, and from a former diplomat who once represented Iran in nuclear talks.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, are planning to develop a luxury resort on a beautiful stretch of Albania’s coastline. But there is a growing protest movement against the project, which is on public land and many Albanians view it as government corruption. And the identities some partners involved in the development are hard to find. We go to the Adriatic coast to learn more about the project.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 eastern Congo’s Ituri province, a new Ebola outbreak is testing an already fragile health system. In the city of Bunia, hospitals are overwhelmed or shut down after suspected infections, while health workers race to contain the virus.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’s use of cutting edge drone technology is turning the tide in the war with Russia. And the latest breakthrough has been the use of drones that operate high-stakes missions on the ground. We meet one of the Ukraine military’s ground drone units near the front line.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

Soccer’s biggest event is officially underway as the 2026 World Cup kicked off in Mexico. The games will be played in Canada and the U.S. as well, but we go to Mexico City, the capital of the most soccer-obsessed host country, to hear about the jubilant atmosphere. And a Somali referee who was set to make history officiating the World Cup was denied entry to the U.S. He returned to Mogadishu to a hero’s welcome.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A new report shows conflicts across the globe surged in 2025, reaching levels not seen since the Second World War. And violence against civilians reached new heights. We hear from one of the report’s authors and get an update on one of the flashpoints driving the increase in violence: the war in Sudan.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

North Korea hosted a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the first in nearly seven years. Though the two neighboring countries have had an alliance for decades, the meeting comes as North Korea has been prioritizing its relationship with Russia. We hear from our correspondents in Shanghai and Seoul about what this meeting means.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Guadalajara is preparing for the World Cup with fan zones and celebrations, but the city is also the capital of one of Mexico’s most violent states. Families of the more than 130,000 people reported missing in Mexico continue to search for their loved ones, putting up posters and digging for remains, even as the world watches soccer’s biggest spectacle. We go to Guadalajara to here from families balancing hope, grief, and visibility.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

With ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at a virtual standstill due to the war in Iran, companies are scrambling to find new and alternative ways to move everything from oil to fertilizer to household goods. We look at how they’re doing it.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers questions from Congress about radical changes to the U.S. refugee program— a program that once had bipartisan support. We hear what was said about the revamped programAnd as the start of The World Cup approaches, fans in Colombia are eager to see their national team return to the global tournament. But even as they are getting ready to put on their jersey to show support, the team’s colors are getting wrapped up in a political controversy. We go to Bogota, Colombia.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

People in Iran are back online after a government-imposed digital blackout that lasted nearly three months. We hear from Iranians that reconnecting has been bittersweet.And a deadly strike during the first days of the Iran war hit far away in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, jolting a quiet seaside town and showing just how far the conflict’s reach extends.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Raja Ampat is a collection of some 600 islands in Indonesia’s West Papua province. It is a beautiful area with clear blue waters and coral reefs that is mostly untouched by development except for the recent growth of a nickel mining industry that has split locals. We go to Raja Ampat and her from people who want mining jobs and those that want to protect the fishing and tourism in the area.  You can see a stunning visual report about Indonesia’s nickel mining dilemma at NPR.orgSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

After the last few years of war, Israel controls adjacent territory in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Israeli officials say these areas are security buffer zones. But some in Israel want to permanently extend their country's borders, using the Bible as a map.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sri Lanka was careening from crisis to crisis, then came the Mideast war. People say they've got no buffer left.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Mongbwalu, a once-thriving gold-mining town in eastern DRC, is now emerging as the epicenter of the country’s latest Ebola outbreak.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In a West Bank spring where Palestinians used to rest and water their flocks, Israeli settlers now swim.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In recent months, a number of fishermen in Ecuador say a U.S.-flagged vessel attacked them at sea and destroyed their boats. Their accounts come amid more than 50 U.S. maritime strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean that have killed nearly 200 people. The Trump administration says the operations are lawful and aimed at alleged narco-traffickers, but has not publicly provided evidence or identified victims. We meet fishing families trying to make sense of what they say happened, and the lives upended in its aftermath.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic minority in China, that number in the millions. Human rights groups have accused China of persecuting Uyghurs because the government fears they have played a role in militant attacks. In today’s episode we hear the story of thousands of Uyghurs who travelled to Syria to gain battlefield experience fighting in the Syrian civil war. Are these people freedom fighters? Or are they the now battle-hardened militants China always feared?This story was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. You can read more of this reporting at NPR.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Climate change is making rainfall in Britain heavier and more erratic, meaning places that used to be dry are flooding regularly. So communities are reintroducing a creature that was hunted to extinction 400 hundred years ago. Beavers are working as little climate warriors, building their dams and reducing flooding. We meet some.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency because of an outbreak of Ebola centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has so far likely killed over 130 people and sickened more than 600. The size of the new outbreak raises questions about whether there were delays in detection. We’ll hear about this outbreak and about the U.S. role in containing the last major instance of the virus spreading, in 2014.Click here to read more reporting about this outbreak from NPR’s Global Health Team.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Cuba’s government says the Caribbean island nation has run out of oil, following a months-long energy blockade by the U.S. in hopes of forcing political change. We hear about what might happen next for Cubans.And the State Department is changing the way the U.S. diplomats talk about migration and refugees, embracing the "Great Replacement" theory promoted by white nationalists. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It has been more than four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a war that has been grinding on without major changes in battle lines, but the conflict may have reached a turning point. There are signs that Russians are growing weary of the military operation and Ukraine has improved its drone technology, hitting deeper inside Russian territory. We hear from NPR reporters in Kyiv and Moscow.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy