Accessibility links
World News and International Headlines NPR world news, international art and culture, world business and financial markets, world economy, and global trends in health, science and technology. Subscribe to the World Story of the Day podcast and RSS feed.

NPRWorld

Many Stories, One World
Oleksii Kharkivskyi, the chief of the patrol police of Vovchansk, in his police car in an undisclosed location in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on May 26.

Oleksii Kharkivskyi, the chief of the patrol police of Vovchansk, in his police car in an undisclosed location in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on May 26. Laurel Chor for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Laurel Chor for NPR

Ukraine invasion — explained

Near Ukraine's front line, a devastated community takes stock after Russian advances

For the last 10 weeks, a battle has raged for a small northeastern Ukrainian border town just five miles from Russia. After delays, Western military aid helped stall Russia's assault.

Ukraine stalled a strong Russian offensive, with help from Western allies

Listen · 4:34
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-11370/nx-s1-d9ba94fa-cdf1-4a78-b500-3762b99e663e" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A group of “novachky” (female campers ages 6-11) stand at attention for a photograph, along with their two “sestrichky” (female counselors, translating to Sisters in English), as marching drills are part of daily activity at camp.

A group of novachky, female campers ages 6-11, stand at attention for a photograph, along with their two sestrichky, or "sisters" who serve as female counselors. Marching drills are a daily activity at camp. Andrea Wenglowskyj hide caption

toggle caption
Andrea Wenglowskyj

The Picture Show

How Ukrainian scouting culture thrives in the woods of western New York state

Every July, campers, counselors and administrators gather on 84 acres of hilly woods in the woods of western New York state that has been home to a Ukrainian summer camp called “Novyi Sokil” since 1950.

A U.S. Journalist is Sentenced in Russia

US journalist Evan Gershkovich, accused of espionage, stands inside a glass defendants' cage during the verdict announcement at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg on July 19, 2024. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images) Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images

State of the World from NPR

A U.S. Journalist is Sentenced in Russia

Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 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.

A U.S. Journalist is Sentenced in Russia

Listen · 7:27
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1196982599/1255966572" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Flares fired by the Israeli military north of Nuseirat are pictured from Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip late on July 1, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP) (Photo by BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Flares fired by the Israeli military north of Nuseirat are pictured from Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip late on July 1. Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images

Interview highlights

'We're inside the 10-yard line': Secretary of state on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal

Antony Blinken talks speaks on everything from the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, to the war in Ukraine and what the U.S. is doing to bring home Americans detained in Russia.

Secretary of State Blinken on Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal and Russia's war in Ukraine

Listen · 8:17
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5046255/nx-s1-f2e82495-6b10-4aa8-a336-87cbdd69e5df" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
US journalist Evan Gershkovich, accused of espionage, looks out from inside a glass defendants' cage prior to a hearing in Yekaterinburg's Sverdlovsk Regional Court on June 26, 2024.

Evan Gershkovich, accused of espionage, looks out from inside a glass defendants' cage prior to a hearing in Yekaterinburg's Sverdlovsk Regional Court on June 26. Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP hide caption

toggle caption
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP

Europe

Russian court sentences U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison

A Russian court convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on charges of espionage Friday, sentencing him to 16 years in a Russian prison colony in a trial the U.S. denounced as a sham.

Gershkovich sentencing

Listen · 3:58
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5045643/nx-s1-e837f7b8-7de3-4456-8d25-ed4ed9f18920" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A workmen measures a door in a building damaged by an explosion in Tel Aviv, Israel on July 19. One person was killed and eight people injured following a loud explosion near a branch of the US embassy in Tel Aviv early on Friday.

Israeli police investigate the scene of a drone attack in Tel Aviv, Israel on Friday. Yemen's Houthi militia claimed responsibility for the blast that left one dead and several injured. Maya Levin for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Maya Levin for NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

Drone strikes Tel Aviv, killing one. Houthis claim responsibility

The deadly drone slammed into an apartment building on the Tel Aviv oceanfront just after 3 a.m. The Houthi militia in Yemen said it carried out the attack as part of its support for Palestinians.

India's plan to reroute rivers could have unintended consequences on rainfall

Once completed, India's National River Linking Project will transfer an estimated 200 billion cubic meters of water around the country each year. STRDEL / Stringer/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
STRDEL / Stringer/Getty Images

Short Wave

India's plan to reroute rivers could have unintended consequences on rainfall

More than a hundred years ago, a British engineer proposed linking two rivers in India to better irrigate the area and cheaply move goods. The link never happened, but the idea survived. Today, due to extreme flooding in some parts of the country mirrored by debilitating drought in others, India's National Water Development Agency plans to dig thirty links between rivers across the country. It's the largest project of its kind and will take decades to complete. But scientists are worried what moving that much water could do to the land, the people — and even the weather. Host Emily Kwong talks to journalist Sushmita Pathak about her recent story on the project.

India's plan to reroute rivers could have unintended consequences on rainfall

Listen · 13:45
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198910415/1255918078" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Scenes of destruction at the Factor Druk printing house, one of Ukraine's largest, can be seen days after it was hit in a Russian missile attack, on May 27.

Scenes of destruction at the Factor Druk printing house, one of Ukraine's largest, can be seen days after it was hit in a Russian missile attack on May 27. Laurel Chor for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Laurel Chor for NPR

Ukraine invasion — explained

Ukraine's bookstores are thriving, but a top printing plant took a deadly hit

Ukraine's bookstores have expanded despite the war, fueled by interest in works by Ukrainian writers, some who have been killed by Russian forces. But a Russian missile struck a top printing plant.

Bookstores have come under attack in Ukraine. But interest in reading is only growing

Listen · 5:04
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5041979/nx-s1-c3d126fd-cd8f-463c-bb43-e70bcd9ba330" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Fisherman Alan Belucci inspects dead fish on the banks of the Piracicaba River in a rural area of Piracicaba, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, on Wednesday. The state's environmental agency alleges that the cause of their death is irregular dumping of industrial waste into the river.

Fisherman Alan Belucci inspects dead fish on the banks of the Piracicaba River in a rural area of Piracicaba, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, on Wednesday. The state's environmental agency alleges that the cause of their death is irregular dumping of industrial waste into the river. Andre Penner/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Andre Penner/AP

Environment

Tons of dead fish cover a river in Brazil after alleged dumping of industrial waste

An estimated 10 to 20 tons of fish died on the Piracicaba River, prosecutors said. An initial investigation points to an "irregular discharge of wastewater" from a sugar and ethanol plant.

Tested: Questions of a Physical Nature
Dani Pendergast for NPR

Embedded

Tested: Questions of a Physical Nature

Episode 2: We go back almost 100 years, to the beginning of women's inclusion in elite sports. It turns out that men had an odd variety of concerns about women athletes. Some doubted these athletes were even women at all. And their skepticism resulted in the first policies requiring sex testing. To listen to this series sponsor-free and support NPR, sign up for Embedded+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Tested: Questions of a Physical Nature

Listen · 34:03
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1216507600/1255707502" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Youth in Kenya Take to the Streets

A teargas canister detonates as protesters run for safety during anti-government protests in Nairobi on July 16. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images

State of the World from NPR

Youth in Kenya Take to the Streets

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. We hear from young protestors.

Youth in Kenya Take to the Streets

Listen · 4:51
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1196982591/1255845245" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
A local resident dives in the Seine, in Paris on July 17, after the mayor of Paris swim in the river to demonstrate that it is clean enough to host the outdoor swimming events at the Paris Olympics later this month. Despite an investment of 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to prevent sewage leaks into the waterway, the Seine has been causing suspense in the run-up to the opening of the Paris Games on July 26 after repeatedly failing water quality tests. But since the beginning of July, with heavy rains finally giving way to sunnier weather, samples have shown the river to be ready for the open-water swimming and triathlon -- and for 65-year-old Hidalgo. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

People jump into the Seine River in Paris on July 17, after Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the river to demonstrate that it is clean enough to host the outdoor swimming events at the Paris Olympics later this month. Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

Paris mayor swims in the Seine to demonstrate its safety ahead of the Olympics

After Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the river, she said the Olympics were "a kind of magnet that attracted all our energies towards a single date, July 26, and we did it.”

Selina Cheng, newly elected chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, speaks to media in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Cheng said she lost her job at The Wall Street Journal after she refused her supervisor’s request to withdraw from the election for the leadership post.

Selina Cheng, newly elected chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, speaks to media in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Cheng said she lost her job at The Wall Street Journal after she refused her supervisor’s request to withdraw from the election for the leadership post. Kanis Leung/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Kanis Leung/AP

Asia

Head of Hong Kong's top journalist group says she lost 'WSJ' job due to her role

Reporter Selina Cheng says she lost her Wall Street Journal job after refusing her supervisor's request to withdraw from the election to lead the journalism group, which advocates for press freedom.

Tourists shelter from the sun in front of the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday. Weather alerts, forest fires, melting pavement in cities: A sizzling heat wave has sent temperatures in parts of central and southern Europe soaring toward 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in some places.

Tourists shelter from the sun in front of the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday. Weather alerts, forest fires, melting pavement in cities: A sizzling heat wave has sent temperatures in parts of central and southern Europe soaring toward 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in some places. Luca Bruno/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Luca Bruno/AP

Weather

'Hellishly hot' southern Europe bakes under temperatures topping 104 F

Temperatures were in the triple-digits in much of the area on Tuesday and authorities warn that they could top 110 degrees F in southern Spain in the coming days.

Police officers stand outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday. Police said a number of people were found dead Tuesday in the luxury hotel in downtown Bangkok and poisoning is suspected.

Police officers stand outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday. Police said a number of people were found dead Tuesday in the luxury hotel in downtown Bangkok and poisoning is suspected. Chatkla Samnaingjam/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Chatkla Samnaingjam/AP

Asia

Cyanide traces found in the blood of 6 Americans and Vietnamese who died in Bangkok

Police say one killed the rest but did not say which of the six was the suspect. A husband and wife among the dead had invested with two of the others, suggesting that money could be a motive.

Gambian activist Jaha Dukureh rejoiced after the country's parliament rejected the bill to end its ban on female genital mutilation.

Gambian activist Jaha Dukureh celebrates after the country's parliament rejected the bill to end a ban on female genital mutilation. Malick Njie/Reuters hide caption

toggle caption
Malick Njie/Reuters

Goats and Soda

A victory for opponents of female genital mutilation in The Gambia

On Monday, Gambian lawmakers rejected a bill that would have overturned its ban on female genital mutilation. The vote marks a victory for women’s rights activists and comes after months of intense debate.

A victory for opponents of female genital mutilation in The Gambia

Listen · 2:43
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5040481/nx-s1-7818dcad-0f6a-4110-b539-b85dff43e148" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A TV screen shows a file image of Ri Il Kyu, a senior North Korea diplomat based in Cuba, during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday. South Korea's spy agency said Ri has fled to South Korea, the latest in a series of defections by members of the North's ruling elite in recent years.

A TV screen shows a file image of Ri Il Kyu, a senior North Korea diplomat based in Cuba, during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday. South Korea's spy agency said Ri has fled to South Korea, the latest in a series of defections by members of the North's ruling elite in recent years. Ahn Young-joon/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Ahn Young-joon/AP

A North Korean diplomat in Cuba defects to South Korea

South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday that a senior North Korea diplomat based in Cuba has fled to South Korea, the latest defection by members of the North's ruling elite that likely hurt leader Kim Jong Un's push to bolster his leadership.

Browse archive or search npr.org