State of the World from NPR

Episodes

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  Gaza struck by deadly storm; Israel debates rare coalition with Palestinian citizens 12.11.2026 8m

  Opponents of Israel’s hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, are trying to oust him by building a new coalition. To do so, they may have to cross a red line drawn by most Israeli parties: work with Arab colleagues.  A devastating single storm compounds the suffering of Gaza’s fourth winter of war. Gaza authorities say more than 20,00 tents were flooded in just two days.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
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  U.S. midterm results give Ukrainians glimmer of hope 10.11.2026 9m

  Ukrainians say they don’t put much stock in the latest  round of peace talks with Russia underway in Abu Dhabi. But they do sense optimism after a seismic political shift in the U.S. midterm elections. In Russia, meanwhile, the country’s best-known independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta,  is shutting down after more than 30  years amid state pressure and wartime censorship laws.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
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  Breeding beer hops for a hotter planet 09.11.2026 5m

  The Czech Republic’s distinctive pilsner beer owes its crisp, bitter taste to a specific variety of hops. But climate change is making it harder to grow the plants. Now, Czech researchers are developing hop varieties that can survive hotter, drier summers.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
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  Anthony Bourdain’s legacy in Russia 06.11.2026 7m

  Eight years after the death of Anthony Bourdain, people around the world still mourn the beloved chef, author and TV star. At a movie theater in Moscow, hundreds of Russian fans gathered recently for the premiere of ‘Tony,’ the new Hollywood film based on Bourdain’s early life. Among them was a man Bourdain loved to call “international man of mystery,” someone who became essential to Bourdain’s success in Russia and beyond. Our Moscow correspondent introduces us to him.  Please note: this story contains mentions of suicide.  If you or someone you know is in crisis, in the U.S. call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.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
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  Despite the hardships of war, Iran’s rulers still have a base of support 05.11.2026 6m

  Iran is bracing for the possibility of another round of U.S. and Israeli attacks now that the midterm elections are over.  The war has driven inflation to almost 90 percent in Iran and has also damaged natural gas infrastructure, forcing people to conserve energy as winter sets in or face higher prices.  But despite all these hardships many Iranians still support the Islamic Republic.  We hear from some of them.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
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  Souring Russia-Japan relations; why Egyptian mummies were used for medicine 04.11.2026 8m

  Russia’s war in Ukraine has raised tensions not only in Europe, but also in Asia. Ties between Russia and neighboring Japan are at their worst in decades. Tokyo would like more support from Washington, but as we hear, some Japanese are concerned they may not get it.And ancient Egyptian mummies were once used as medicine. But why? Chemists are trying to find out what it was in the mummification process that had medicinal properties.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
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  We visit a Ukrainian city under siege 03.11.2026 7m

  Kherson is a city in southern Ukraine whose population numbered in the hundreds of thousands before Russia’s invasion of the country.  Just a fraction of those people live there today.Russia occupied Kherson for a few months in the early days of the war and ever since Russian forces withdrew across the Dnipro River, the city has largely been under siege with frequent shelling and drone attacks.  But a limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine this past weekend gave residents of Kherson a break from fighting.  Allowing them to walk the streets and see friends again.We go to a temporarily peaceful Kherson to hear how residents are living under the constant threat of bombing and drone attacks.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
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  Gulf Arab states struggle under the cloud of war 02.11.2026 9m

  Many places in the Persian Gulf like Dubai, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have spent decades modernizing and inviting investment from around the world. But that effort has been stymied by wars that have landed on their doorstep– including conflicts in Yemen and Iran.We go to Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, to hear how these wars are threatening the kingdom’s plans for the future.  And we hear how other Gulf states are worried about the possibility of renewed attacks on Iran and the retaliation that could follow.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
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  A macho Mexican superstar sings songs full of emotion 30.10.2026 5m

  With his crooked cowboy hat, thick black beard and oversized belt buckles, Carín León looks every bit the macho Mexican superstar singer that he is. But beneath the swagger is a romantic with a talent for heartbreak. Proving that even the toughest hombres have a soft spot and a song for every wound. We go to Leon’s hometown of Hermosillo, Sonora to meet the singer.  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
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  Venezuela’s popular opposition leader returns to the country 29.10.2026 8m

  Politician, activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela. She led the opposition to authoritarian leader Nicholas Maduro and fled Venezuela in 2025 after more than a year in hiding.This is Machado’s first time back in her country following the U.S. arrest of Maduro in January.  We hear how her presence is putting pressure on the U.S.-backed Venezuelan regime to hold elections.And with this year’s ‘super El Nino’ expected to bring flash floods and landslides to Kenya, thousands of workers in Nairobi have been preparing. A youth employment group called the Green Army is clearing drainage systems and waterways to try and prevent flooding this winter. But there are tradeoffs to this large-scale cleanup effort.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
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  The Israeli election is deadlocked 28.10.2026 8m

  Israel has held an important election– its first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on that country.The vote is a referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu who was in power when the attacks occurred and presided over the military responses that followed.  And so far, there is no clear winner.With more than half the votes counted neither Netanyahu nor his center-right challenger Gadi Eisenkot have the majority needed to form a government.  We hear what happens now and an analysis of what it means.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
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  Why Ukraine and Russia agreed to a ceasefire in just one city 27.10.2026 6m

  Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a very limited ceasefire to help a Ukrainian city that’s been under Russian occupation for nearly five years.  We hear about the horrific conditions residents have been living under in the city of Oleshky.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
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  Surprising election results in Brazil and Serbia 26.10.2026 6m

  We look at unexpected election results in different parts of the globe, in which the youth vote played a major role.In Brazil, the leftist incumbent in his 80’s cinched a stunning come-from-behind win.  And in Serbia a student movement that emerged from years of anti-corruption protests toppled the long-time leader.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
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  Drones make the Russia-Ukraine war front line a ‘kill zone’ 23.10.2026 7m

  The Russia-Ukraine war is sometimes compared to the static, deadlocked, trench warfare of World War I.  Yet it’s also been the defining conflict of the 21st century, dominated by drones that have created a so-called “kill zone” along the front line.  We hear about what the kill zone is like and what it means for the future of warfare.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
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  Why a game gaining popularity in the U.S. is giving Chinese factories a needed boost 22.10.2026 5m

  Chinese manufacturers have not had it easy these past few years, with U.S. tariffs as well as the wars in Ukraine and Iran pushing up their costs and shrinking profits.  But there is one sector that is thriving despite all of this, the manufacturers of this Chinese tile-game, called mahjong. It’s been trending in the U.S. and that has given a boost to one mahjong manufacturing hub.We go to eastern China to understand the global implications of this trend.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
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  Our reporter witnesses the largest detention of West Bank activists in a decade 21.10.2026 11m

  In the Israeli occupied West Bank, dozens of Americans have been detained, including a politician running for Congress.  Settler violence and detentions by the Israeli military have been on the rise for years in the Palestinian territory, which is occupied by Israel. But according to two Israeli lawyers, this is the largest mass detention of activists there in a decade. A team from NPR witnessed the detention of a group made up primarily of American and Israeli rabbis, activists and U.S. Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander. They had been helping Palestinian families harvest their olives to try to prevent attacks by Israeli settlers.We hear from our reporter who witnessed the event and one of the American rabbis who was detained. 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
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  Why workers in India are training their AI robot replacements 20.10.2026 9m

  Sometimes it feels like when we aren’t worried about AI destroying humanity — we worry about it replacing white collar jobs like lawyers, accountants, coders. But tech companies have plans for AI-powered robots to replace blue collar jobs as well.  We go to southern India, where our correspondent found domestic and factory workers being enlisted to train AI, sometimes without their knowledge.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
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  Israel prepares for a high-stakes election 19.10.2026 6m

  Israel holds an election on October 27th, electing members of the Knesset, their parliament.  And this election will decide the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.It is the first vote since Hamas-led attacks of October 7th, 2023 and the Gaza war. And a major question shaping the elections is whether the prime minister should be held responsible for the Hamas attacks. We go to Israel, to hear how Israelis are thinking about this election.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
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  A conversation with President Volodmyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine 16.10.2026 13m

  Ukraine finds itself in a difficult situation.  It has endured increased airstrikes from Russia, especially in the capital Kyiv.One way the country fights back is by hitting Russian energy infrastructure, a way to deny Russia the money it needs to conduct the war.  But President Trump has blamed those strikes on the high cost of diesel in the United States.  He has pressured Ukraine to stop its attacks and he has temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel. In today’s episode we hear from Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, about his relationship with President Trump, whether Ukraine is to blame for energy prices, and what he thinks a path to peace looks like.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
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  A Gaza war documentary sparks outrage in Israel 15.10.2026 9m

  In the new documentary “NAZA”, two dozen anonymous Israeli military and intelligence officers describe how they used an AI-powered system to kill Palestinians in Gaza. The film’s premiere received a 25-minute standing ovation at Venice International Film Festival. But in Israel, it has caused a major backlash.  We hear from the filmmakers and reaction from Israelis.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