State of the World from NPR

State of the World from NPR

Immerse yourself in the most compelling and consequential stories from around the globe. The world is changing in big ways every day. State of the World from NPR takes you where the news is happening — and explains why it matters. With bureaus spanning the globe, NPR reporters bring you facts and context from the ground so you can cut through the noise of disinformation. NPR's State of the World, a human perspective on global stories in just a few minutes, every weekday. State of the World was previously State of Ukraine. You'll continue to hear Ukraine coverage here, along with other international stories. Support NPR's reporting by subscribing to State of the World+ and unlock sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/stateoftheworld

Episodes

July 23, 2025 9 mins
The southern African nation's garment industry is being gutted by U.S. tariffs. And United Nations peacekeeping and UNICEF are amongst the agencies facing major cuts after a new U.S. funding rollback.

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In Gaza, one of the last relatively safe zones is now under fire, as Israel expands its military ground operation into the central city of Deir al-Balah. And we visit the tiny desert village in Chile that fills with music for Fiesta de La Tirana.

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Many injured in Gaza while seeking food at distribution sites are sent to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. NPR speaks with Dr. Nick Maynard, a British surgeon volunteering there.

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China has nearly cornered the market in rare earth minerals, which are a necessary component to much of our technology today. But China sources some of those rare earths and other heavy metals from neighboring Myanmar. And the ramped up in production there is causing downstream environmental concerns in Thailand. We go to Thailand to understand the issue.

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The U.S. once controlled the market on rare earth minerals, sought after for the production of cell phones, computers, electric and hybrid vehicles, and more. But in the last few decades, China has cornered that market and surpassed the US. We explore how.

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More families around the world are choosing to have fewer children or none all. Many countries, including the U.S., now face a rapidly aging population that could begin to shrink. We look at why this is happening and what it could mean for the future.

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Clearing out a closet, attic or garage can be a chore. Old photographs, clothes and books can create clutter, or take up space that's sometimes needed for something else. But every so often, the heirlooms or mementos that you find retain some value: if that's emotional value, it can be hard to part with them. If it's financial, that can make it easier, as Willem Marx hoped it would be with his childhood stamp collection in London.<...
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Millions of Syrians fled their country during the civil war that lasted more than a decade. Now the dictator has been deposed and the country is trying to recover. Many ex-pat Syrians, including a large number in Turkey, are looking at what they have left in Syria and deciding whether to return.

This reporting was sponsored by the Pulitzer Center

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Russia ratcheted up air attacks by drones and missiles on Ukraine this week. The increase comes as President Trump has expressed frustration at Russian President Vladimir Putin's seeming unwillingness to enter talks to end the war. Trump indicated the U.S. would resume shipments of weapons to Ukraine that had previously been suspended. Our correspondent in Kyiv gives us the latest.

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Our correspondent goes back to Syria six months after the ouster of dictator Bashar Al-Assad to see the country's growing pains in its new era.

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 86 years-old and his political power is weakened following the short war with Israel. Our correspondent explores who, or what, could replace Khamenei upon his death.

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A typewriter recently discovered in a basement in upstate New York holds important clues about the origins of Chinese computing. And brings up questions about language and culture.

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In the fertile central region, the fights between herders and farmers for land access has become violent. We go to one village where over 160 people were killed in what villagers say was an effort to drive them off their farms.

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The reality of China's efforts to lead in two important tech sectors. In artificial intelligence, control of the data needed to train new models could dictate where the industry is able to expand fastest. And a price war in China's electric vehicle industry.

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July 2, 2025 9 mins
An NPR journalist in Gaza describes his harrowing experience seeking food from a distribution site run by private American contractors. He found himself facing Israeli military fire, crowds fighting for rations, and masked thieves.

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July 1, 2025 9 mins
With a shaky truce between Israel and Iran holding, activists say the Iranian government is hunting for people it suspects of collaborating with Israel. Iranian state media reports hundreds have been taken into custody in the last two weeks and some are fleeing into neighboring countries, including Turkey. We hear from some.

And, during the air war with Israel, one young Iranian woman turned to Chat GPT for information a...
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Russia attacked Ukraine with over 500 drones and missiles over the weekend, it was the largest air assault since the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago. The barrage included targets in Western Ukraine, a region far from the front lines that doesn't often see bombardments. We get the latest from our correspondent in Kyiv.

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June 27, 2025 6 mins
Ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the majority of western countries have been working to marginalize Russia by imposing sanctions and moving away from dependence on Russian oil. This week NATO announced most member countries would dramatically increase defense spending, a move they said was meant to counter threats posed by Russia.

But Russia is eager to show it still has many partners around...
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As part of a broader crime wave in Peru that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, gangs have begun targeting private schools in poorer neighborhoods for extortion. We hear how administrators and parents are dealing with the threats. And in London's West End, you don't need a ticket to witness the soaring signature song for the musical Evita. It is performed nightly in the street. We attend a recent performance.

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