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.Learn more about sponsor message choices...

   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...

   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, were injured. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary group backed by Iran, had already...

   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.Learn more about sponsor...

   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...

   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.Learn more about sponsor message choices...

   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...

   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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR 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...

   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...

   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...

   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...

   Israel mourns six hostages, who were captured during the October th 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...

   In the summer of , 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, years later. And this wasn’t...

   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...

   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. ...

   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 th. We hear the latest on those raids. And Israelis who believe the West Bank should be Israeli territory have significantly...

   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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

   At one time, in the ’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. Learn more about sponsor...

   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...

   In an unprecedented step, the U.S. has imposed sanctions in recent months on about a dozen Israelis who it says have taken violent action against Palestinians and posed obstacles to peace. We hear from one Israeli who the U.S. has taken action against.Learn more about sponsor message choices...

   Some Ukrainians are fleeing an unpopular conscription drive for troops. Ukrainian guards are on their trail. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis takes us to one escape route along a river in Western Ukraine.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

   The world needs lithium to transition to a lower carbon future. The mineral is used in batteries, such as those found in electric vehicles. But extracting lithium can create huge environmental damage. We go to Serbia, where a proposed lithium mine is fueling social unrest.Learn more about sponsor...

   Some million people are displaced in Sudan as the military government battles a powerful paramilitary group. There is acute hunger and risk of famine for many. Peace talks hoping to resolve the crisis are being held in Geneva this week. We hear about the chances that those talks will succeed and...

   Ukraine’s attack into Russian territory surprised many. Including, it would seem, the Russians themselves. But what are the strategic goals Ukraine is hoping to achieve with this move We hear from a retired U.S. lieutenant general.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com...

   Earlier this month a youth led movement helped topple the government of an autocratic prime minister in Bangladesh. Now students sweep broken glass, direct traffic, and join the government. But can they rebuild a country We go to the streets of Dhaka.Learn more about sponsor message choices...

   Following a disputed election in Venezuela, autocratic president Nicolà s Maduro is cracking down on the opposition. Thousands have been arrested and lawmakers are threatening social media sites and planning to close down civic groups. We hear from opponents of Maduro.Learn more about sponsor...

   In a rare interview with a Hamas leader our correspondent asks about the attacks of October th and the aftermath. He says the group has no regrets about launching the operation, but that mistakes were made.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

   Last week, in surprise move, Ukraine sent it’s military into Russian territory. And so far the Russians have been struggling to mount a defense and kick them out. We hear what is known about the operation from our correspondent in Kyiv.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com...

   Ukraine has competing needs from its military aged population. It needs many of them to join the military to fight the Russian invasion. But it also needs them in the workforce, to keep the economy going so it can afford to pay for the war effort. As our reporter in Kyiv tells us, the most recent...

   For over a week race riots have broken out in the United Kingdom, mostly in smaller, poorer, less diverse cities. The violence has been stoked by misinformation and disinformation online. Our reporter travels to one of the places that saw mob violence to understand why it’s happening.Learn more...

   A popular book and TV series in Europe imagines the straight laced former German chancellor Angela Merkel solving crimes in her retirement. We unpack the premise’s popularity. And an American has been jailed in Nigeria over a dispute the country has with the crypto currency exchange Binance. Some...

   This week the prime minister of Bangladesh fled the country by helicopter, forced out by a protest movement that started peacefully but became violent. We hear from our correspondent about the events that lead to this dramatic change in government. And we hear reaction from a journalist who had...

   Iran has vowed to strike Israel following the assassination of a Hamas leader on Iran’s soil. We hear from Israelis watching and waiting as they know an attack is coming but the don’t know when. And in the West Bank, the war between Israel and Hamas has sparked an increase in Palestinian men...

   In Nigeria, even two meals a day is becoming unaffordable to many. Demonstrators are protesting food inflation of more than percent, and fuel costs that have tripled. And in China, live streamers digitally clone themselves, raising questions about the future of labor in the age of A.I.Learn...

   Hezbollah and Hamas bury their slain leaders. And Venezuelan security forces arrest protesters of last weekend’s presidential election.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

   Venezuelans continue to protest Sunday’s disputed election in which President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory. The opposition says it has evidence that their candidate won. And in China, an informal social media poll favors one candidate for the US presidency.Learn more about sponsor message...

   People find new ways to grow food after severe drought in some regions of Ethiopia.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

   The Druze community of the Golan Heights mourns after a weekend rocket strike on a soccer field kills children. The attack raises questions about the Druze identity an Arab minority group that can claim Israeli citizenship.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com...

   In Venezuela’s presidential elections, incumbent Nicholas Maduro fights a movement against him lead by Maria Corina Machado, who’s been barred from the race. In Russia, Russian American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, is sentenced to prison in a case similar to that of jailed Wall Street Journal...

   Olympic Opening Ceremonies are typically held in stadiums. For the Games, Paris is taking the event to the heart of the city, in and along the River Seine. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley has this preview.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

   Like many other countries, South Koreans are turning away from organized religions. But DJ Yoon Seong ho is using his beats to attract new followers to his Buddhist faith.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

   A play about witches is selling out in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. And even though the plot takes place centuries ago, the play’s takeaways and parallels to today resonate with Ukrainians. We hear from actors and audience members.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com adchoicesNPR...

   Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to years in a Russian prison on charges of espionage. His employer and the U.S. government have said he is innocent and the trial is a sham. We hear the latest from Moscow and reaction from the U.S.Learn more about sponsor message...

   Artificial Intelligence makes it possible to resurrect deceased loved ones in the form of a very convincing video and audio imitation. Some companies in China are beginning to provide this as a service. We hear about the practice and the ethical questions it raisesLearn more about sponsor message...

   In Kenya, protests that began in response to tax increases have grown into a movement demanding the president’s resignation. Scores of protestors have gone missing since the anti government protests began a month ago. Human rights groups fear that the security forces are behind these disappearances...

   Ever since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October th, Israel had detained thousands of Palestinians from Gaza. We hear the story of one radiologist who says he endured beatings and mistreatment during seven months in Israeli detention. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr...

   Every five years China’s Communist Party holds a meeting in secret called the third plenum . And while it may sound arcane, there are a lot of important policy decisions that have come out of this meeting. Our correspondent in Beijing tells us what is at stake for the meeting this week.Learn more...

   The United States Justice Department says it has foiled at least four assassination plots sponsored by foreign governments on U.S. soil. One of the targets of those assassination attempts is Masih Alinejad, an Iranian American journalist and activist who Iran allegedly tried to have killed in New...

   In the latest escalation of tensions between the two, China seized a fishing vessel from Taiwan while it was in Taiwanese territorial waters. This is seen as Beijing sending a message that it plans to assert more control over Taiwan, which China claims as it’s own. Our correspondent travels to a...