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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.

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State of the World from NPR

During the more than decade-long civil war in Syria, millions were displaced in the country and millions more fled abroad as refugees. It’s been almost a year since the war ended and many Syrians are starting to come home. 

Some have found their houses destroyed but others have found strangers have been living in their homes, sometimes for years. We go to Syria to see how locals are dealing with the thorny issue of ownership after war.

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Untangling Home Ownership in Syria After a Long War

Venezuela's leaders are under increasing pressure as U.S. warships stage off the South American country's Caribbean coast. The region is on edge as the U.S. weighs military action. We look at Venezuela’s President Nicholas Maduro’s ability to stay in power over the years and we hear from Venezuelans on the border with Colombia about what they think of the situation.

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The U.S. Escalates Pressure on Venezuela

The U.N. climate conference is being held this month in Brazil. The U.S. is conspicuously absent, but China is there. We look at how these two countries are taking opposite paths on renewable energy— China is expanding it exponentially while the U.S. is investing in fossil fuels. We look at what these decisions mean for the climate and for these countries’ economies.

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China, the U.S. and the World’s Energy Future

Since the Gaza ceasefire began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has received blowback from members of his ruling coalition but also an in-person boost from President Trump. And even while he’s on trial for corruption, Netanyahu is gearing up to run for reelection. Our correspondent in Tel Aviv takes a look at Netanyahu’s political present and future.

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What’s Next for Israel’s Prime Minister?

Voters in Ecuador overwhelmingly voted not to allow foreign military bases to return to the country. The Trump Administration had hoped to use Ecuador to support U.S. military activity in the region. And it’s happening against the backdrop of frequent U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats. Supporters of the national referendum wanted help to stem soaring violence from drug gangs using it as a key transit hub. We go to the Ecuadoran coast where fishermen try to make a living in the face of extortion by drug gangs and now contend with the threat of strikes by the U.S. military.

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Fishermen in Ecuador Contend with Drug Gangs and U.S. Military Strikes

This year authorities in Mumbai, India banned feeding pigeons in public spaces over health concerns. That might seem like a minor civic act but the backlash has been huge. We go to Mumbai to understand the controversy that touches not just on public health but also caste dynamics and religious duty.

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The Culture War Over Pigeon Feeding in Mumbai

In 1985 the Nevado del Ruiz volcano triggered a mudslide that wiped out the town of Armero, Colombia in one of the 20th century’s worst natural disasters. All these years later the ghosts of Colombia’s deadliest tragedy still haunt its slopes, and families are still searching for lost children.

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Searching for Survivors 40 Years After One of Latin America’s Deadliest Disasters

It has been a month since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was implemented and despite some violations the shaky truce is holding. Both sides say they’re committed to the deal. We look at how progress towards the next phase in the agreement is proceeding.

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A Month into the Ceasefire in Gaza, What’s Next?

An increasing number of women are joining the Ukrainian military, with thousands serving in frontline roles, as Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine nears its fourth year. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis talks to some of these Ukrainian women who are training and fighting to defend their country.

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The Women Fighting on Ukraine’s Front Lines

The war with Russia has touched all aspects of Ukrainian life, including efforts to preserve the nation’s history. We go to an island in the Dnipro River where archaeologists from around the world are racing to preserve an 18th century shipwreck - exposed by Russia’s destruction of a major dam - as the site is threatened by both rapid deterioration and the nearby front line.

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Racing to Save a Ukrainian Archaeological Site Exposed by the War

The secretive leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahiya Sinwar, is thought to be the mastermind of the October 7 attack on Israel and he has led the Hamas negotiations on hostages. Our Jerusalem correspondent has met the Hamas leader at press conferences over the years and has this look at who he is and what his war strategy seems to be.

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The Hamas leader behind the October 7 attack and the hostage release

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