State of the World from NPR

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Why it’s a muted celebration in Moscow May 08, 2026

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Russia’s annual celebration of Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, is traditionally a huge celebration in Moscow’s Red Square featuring a parade with missiles, tanks and other military hardware. But this year the holiday has been scaled back considerably due to fears of Ukrainian drone attacks. Our correspondent in Moscow says the move is a symbol of Russians’ growing frustrations with the war.
And on the occasion of his 100th birthday we have an appreciation of iconic nature documentarian David Attenborough.
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The bus with beats and bling May 07, 2026

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In Nairobi, Kenya, tricked-out buses known as, “matatus,” roll through the streets, entertaining both passengers and passers-by. Matatu buses bump with heavy bass over their sound systems, and are painted up with mural montages. It’s a rolling dance club and mobile art gallery in one.
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A fraying ceasefire in southern Lebanon with villages destroyed May 06, 2026

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Although there is officially a ceasefire, fighting in south Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah has escalated recently. According to the U.N. attacks this week have been the most intense since the truce started.
And a family mourns the loss of their ancestral home in southern Lebanon, when their whole village was levelled by Israel during the conflict.
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U.S. diplomats depart; the new Grand Egyptian Museum May 05, 2026

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Senior career diplomats at the U.S. State Department are effectively being forced into retirement. It’s a loss of talent that one former diplomat calls a “unilateral disarmament”.
And we visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum outside Cairo, which was more than 30 years in the making.
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The standoff in the Strait of Hormuz May 04, 2026

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The U.S military has begun an operation to end Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in an effort and re-open the waterway to global shipping traffic. The U.S. Navy says it came under fire Monday, but helped two commercial ships safely through the strait. Iran meanwhile, reaffirmed that it will attack any ships that try to go through the strait of Hormuz without its permission. We hear from two NPR reporters about what this development means for global trade and the ceasefire.
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Economic effects of the war in Iran ripple around the globe May 01, 2026

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From fuel to food, fertilizer and flights, the fallout from the Iran war is reshaping the global economy. We hear from reporters in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America on the ways it’s affecting their regions and how they’re coping.
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The search for loved ones in Gaza Apr 30, 2026

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After more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the destruction there is overwhelming. According to the United Nations, most buildings there have been damaged or destroyed, and many bodies remain buried under rubble. Crews have begun efforts to recover those remains, including victims from one of the war's deadliest Israeli attacks, which occurred in late 2024. NPR investigated that attack, on an apartment building in Gaza, and mapped a family tree of 132 relatives killed there. The Israeli military said, after the strike, it had been targeting “an enemy spotter,” but it did not provide any evidence. Survivors waited more than a year before being able to recover some of the bodies of their loved ones. NPR’s reporter in Gaza, Anas Baba, witnessed the recovery efforts.
Warning: This story includes graphic descriptions of military strikes and their aftermath.
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An interview with a powerful Hindu nationalist Apr 29, 2026

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In today’s episode, a rare interview with the leader of a Hindu nationalist group in India known by the acronym RSS. They are the largest far right group in the world and the basis for the party that rules India.
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How is Cuba feeling about the United States? Apr 28, 2026

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The relationship between the United States and Cuba hasn’t been this tense for decades. Even as the the U.S. is engaged in high-level negotiations in Havana, it is threatening Cuba with military action. It is a threat that is backed up by the recent action the U.S. took in nearby Venezuela, removing that country’s leader. We hear from a top Cuban diplomat about how Cuba sees its relationship with the U.S. now.
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40 years after families survived the Chernobyl accident, they face war Apr 27, 2026

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Forty years ago, in April 1986, there was an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was the worst nuclear accident in history. Then the plant was in the USSR, it is part of northern Ukraine now. The accident was a shared trauma for Ukrainians and Russians, but Russia’s war on Ukraine has torn them apart. We meet some families who endured the accident and nuclear fallout four decades ago, and are now enduring years of war.
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