State of the World from NPR

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The foreign fighters from China that played a key role in Syria’s revolution May 22, 2026

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Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic minority in China, that number in the millions. Human rights groups have accused China of persecuting Uyghurs because the government fears they have played a role in militant attacks. In today’s episode we hear the story of thousands of Uyghurs who travelled to Syria to gain battlefield experience fighting in the Syrian civil war. Are these people freedom fighters? Or are they the now battle-hardened militants China always feared?
This story was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. You can read more of this reporting at NPR.org.
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British beavers back from extinction to fight floods May 21, 2026

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Climate change is making rainfall in Britain heavier and more erratic, meaning places that used to be dry are flooding regularly. So communities are reintroducing a creature that was hunted to extinction 400 hundred years ago. Beavers are working as little climate warriors, building their dams and reducing flooding. We meet some.
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Ebola outbreaks past and present May 20, 2026

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The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency because of an outbreak of Ebola centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has so far likely killed over 130 people and sickened more than 600. The size of the new outbreak raises questions about whether there were delays in detection. We’ll hear about this outbreak and about the U.S. role in containing the last major instance of the virus spreading, in 2014.
Click here to read more reporting about this outbreak from NPR’s Global Health Team.
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Cuba runs out of oil; surprising terminology changes at the State Department May 19, 2026

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Cuba’s government says the Caribbean island nation has run out of oil, following a months-long energy blockade by the U.S. in hopes of forcing political change. We hear about what might happen next for Cubans.
And the State Department is changing the way the U.S. diplomats talk about migration and refugees, embracing the "Great Replacement" theory promoted by white nationalists.
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Shifting momentum in the Russia-Ukraine war May 18, 2026

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It has been more than four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a war that has been grinding on without major changes in battle lines, but the conflict may have reached a turning point. There are signs that Russians are growing weary of the military operation and Ukraine has improved its drone technology, hitting deeper inside Russian territory. We hear from NPR reporters in Kyiv and Moscow.
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What U.S. troops mean to one German town May 15, 2026

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President Trump’s recent decision to withdraw at least five thousand troops from Germany has sent shockwaves through a Bavarian town that, for decades, has hosted U.S. troops and may now lose its main source of revenue. We speak to residents.
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Convicted U.S. spy runs for office in Israel; an anti-smoking fight in China May 14, 2026

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Jonathan Pollard worked as an analyst for the U.S. Navy in the 1980s. He spent 30 years behind bars in the U.S., convicted for spying for Israel. Now he has announced he’s running for Israel’s Parliament. Our correspondent talks to him.
And cigarette smoking among men is ingrained in Chinese culture. We meet some women who are trying to change that.
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The lasting effects of Trump’s tariff war with China May 13, 2026

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Over a year ago, President Trump started imposing tariffs on China as part of “Liberation Day”. There was a back-and-forth escalation and at one point the tariffs on China peaked at 145%. A truce was eventually declared and the temperature on the tariff war cooled, but there were lasting effects for manufacturers in both countries.
Trump is in China this week and trade is on the agenda. We look at the long-term impact of the tariff war on a factory in the U.S. and one in China.
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Trump’s tactics in Iran and the longest intentional internet blackout ever May 12, 2026

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President Trump has been using a wide range of tactics in the war with Iran in an effort to force the country to bend to U.S. demands. But experts say the seesaw may be hampering efforts to reach a deal.
And nearly all of Iran’s population has been cut off from the internet since the war began. But certain people have stayed connected this entire time. We look at Iran’s internet haves and have nots.
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China’s expanding nuclear ambitions and Trump’s visit May 11, 2026

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President Trump heads to China this week in an effort to stabilize the relationship between the two great powers. But the war in Iran hangs over the visit.
And as part of the struggle with the U.S. for global dominance, China has been expanding it’s nuclear arsenal, doubling its size in the last decade. We look at the history of their program and why it is growing now.
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