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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

State of the World from NPR

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the country has been hit with more than 50,000 drone strikes. The constant threats of war have changed many things about life in Ukraine, including the way the night time sounds. We meet members of a youth orchestra outside Kyiv who are marking the new sounds of their country with a sonic poem.

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Making Music from the Sounds of War

In just seven minutes, in broad daylight, millions of dollars worth of jewels that once belonged to French royalty were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. We hear about what was stolen, how the French people are reacting and what it might take to catch the thieves who did it.

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A Brazen Theft from France’s Most Famous Museum

As a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems to hold and Gaza starts to emerge from war, the immense challenges facing the territory in its eventual recovery are becoming clear. Around ninety percent of buildings damaged or destroyed, there are no funds for reconstruction and unexploded bombs are buried beneath debris. We hear from the U.N. program that has a team on the ground working to clear rubble and rebuild infrastructure about the challenges that lie ahead.

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How to Deal with Mountains of Rubble in Gaza

When Oscar Wilde was jailed for, "gross indecency," a 19th century euphemism for gay sex, his library card was revoked. 130 years later, the British Library has re-issued it to his grandson.

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Author Oscar Wilde Gets Back His Library Card Over A Century After His Death

Migrants travel by boat for hundreds of miles from Africa to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. After surviving the dangerous crossing, many are stranded for months and unable to work. 

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A Dangerous Sea Journey Was Just the Start of One Migrant’s Ordeal

In a deeply personal postcard from NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu, we go the funeral of his venerated grandfather in Nigeria. It was a huge celebration of life, with music and dance. However, the family was confronted with extortion and exploitation at the gravesite. It’s an all too common occurrence, one that amplifies the grief of many Nigerians. 

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An Adored Grandfather’s Funeral Exposes Painful Realities of a Beloved Country

Nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons were released into Gaza and the occupied West Bank as part of phase one of the ceasefire deal. All 20 surviving Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas after spending more than two years in captivity in Gaza. We hear reaction from Gaza and Tel Aviv.

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Israel Exchanges Palestinian Prisoners, Detainees for Hostages in Gaza

The kiwi, an adorable flightless bird from New Zealand, is disappearing, largely because of invasive species brought to the country’s islands by humans. So New Zealand has set a goal of exterminating rats, possums and other invasive animals that threaten the country’s biodiversity. 

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The Ambitious Effort to Save New Zealand’s Iconic Bird

Italy’s Campi Flegrei volcano is depicted in Greek and Roman mythology as the entrance to the underworld. Its eruptions thousands of years ago blocked out the sun, turning summer into winter. And now the volcano is stirring in a way it hasn’t for centuries. We go to the volcano outside Naples to understand its new activity.

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Is Italy’s Super Volcano Getting Ready to Erupt?

Israel and Hamas have agreed on the "first phase" of a Gaza ceasefire deal, raising the possibility that the war may now be over. We hear from two of our correspondents in the region who have covered the entire war about the details in the plan and reactions to the announcement in Israel and in Gaza. And an interview with a Israeli man whose cousin’s remains are still in Gaza, about how families of hostages are feeling in this moment.

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A Deal Emerges for Peace in Gaza and the Release of Hostages

The October 7th Hamas-led attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza has changed the course of geopolitics and will have far reaching consequences for the world. The events have also upended the lives of countless individuals. Our team of reporters in the region bring us stories of lives changed in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. 

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October 7th: A Year of War Through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It

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