The World

Ukrainian civilians, under relentless Russian bombing, are fleeing the key logistics and transit hub of Pokrovsk. A Ukrainian journalist explains why the fall of Pokrovsk might jeopardize Ukrainian control of the entire Donetsk region. Also, a housing shortage in Ireland is ranked the worst globally. We learn why. And, water shortages are driving discontent in Cuba and other Caribbean countries. Plus, a final wrap-up of the Paris Paralympics. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The Israeli military has conducted intense operations in the occupied West Bank over the past 10 days, launching air and ground attacks, and leaving a trail of destruction. Also, France tries to redefine rape after a man in the south of the country went on trial for drugging his wife and then inviting dozens of men to rape her, over the course of nearly a decade. And, Europe grapples with a rise in xenophobia even though it’s in need of more foreign workers. Also, farmers in Kenya are breeding butterflies for export abroad. Plus, what is the sound of a glacier crying? Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Automakers like Volvo and Volkswagen are making big changes to their business models as demand fluctuates for electric vehicles. Also, the athletics community across East Africa mourns the death of Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who was reportedly killed by her partner. And, a discussion about euthanasia and how and when it’s used around the world. Plus, a collection of 1,984 copies of George Orwell's dystopian novel "1984" hopes to find a permanent home on the Scottish island where Orwell lived. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

A new report finds that Incompetence, dishonesty and greed led to the deaths of 72 people in the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in the UK. It also says the deaths were avoidable and blames several manufacturers and successive British governments. Also, the Pope is on a trip across Southeast Asia. And, the head of Lebanon's central bank has been arrested after more than a year of damning revelations of alleged financial crimes. Plus, a group of people in the Canary Islands is embracing a centuries-old language used to communicate across long distances: whistling. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Three German states held elections this weekend, with the far-right AfD Party making big gains. Also, both major US presidential candidates say they oppose the proposed takeover of US Steel by Nippon Steel of Japan. But the CEO of US Steel and a majority of the company’s shareholders are in favor of the sale. And, a military partnership between Egypt and Somalia has Ethiopia alarmed. Plus, an online story about a hot new singles scene in a Spanish supermarket chain has exploded into a flirting frenzy in grocery stores across the country. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

For Labor Day, we have a special show with reprisals all focused on the theme of transportation — including getting around on foot. Thor Pedersen, a former UN soldier originally from Denmark, went on a decadelong adventure that took him to every country in the world. He never took an airplane. Also, research shows that flight turbulence has increased as climate change has warmed the planet. One researcher explains that the increase in bumpy flights could be caused by changes in wind speed at high altitudes due to warmer air from carbon emissions. And, lithium is in soaring global demand, because it’s used in electric car batteries. This is good news for the economy of Chile, which meets a third of the world’s lithium needs. Experts say there's a big financial opportunity for the region, but it comes at an environmental cost.

A Palestinian baby in the Gaza Strip contracted polio and is now paralyzed in one leg. It's Gaza's first confirmed case of polio in 25 years. International agencies are scrambling to get an estimated 640,000 young kids in the territory vaccinated, requiring a halt in fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas. And, Kenya is getting a nuclear power plant, but those plans are bumping up against local opposition. Plus, there's a church in Turkey where hundreds of visitors of different faiths come to make a wish on the first of every month. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Hong Kong used to be famous for its feisty and free press. Today, reporting the news there can land you in prison. Two journalists in the Chinese territory are now facing the possibility of jail time after being convicted of sedition for their work. Also, Thailand has a new prime minister. But less than two weeks into her term, Paetongtarn Shinawatra is already facing a complaint that could end up dissolving her political party. Many Thais are now wondering, what's the point of voting? And, Sudan is facing a national catastrophe. More than half of the country's population of 45 million is in need of urgent food aid. Millions have been displaced. Peace talks so far have failed to end the civil war. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The Israeli military has carried out extensive raids overnight in several areas of the occupied West Bank. At least nine Palestinians were killed. Also, since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they've made it more difficult for women and girls to get any kind of formal education. But some bold activists are still taking big risks to run secret schools for girls. And, the sporting world is once again setting its sights on Paris. This time, the 2024 Summer Paralympics kicking off with an opening ceremony along the Champs-Elysees. Plus, for years, local Sherpas and volunteers have been clearing trash from Mount Everest, which is arduous and exhausting and even deadly. Come autumn, Nepal will deploy drones to help carry the load. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The World Health Organization has declared mpox, formerly Monkey Pox, a global public health emergency. A new strain of the virus has raised concerns due to its rapid transmission. Also, green tea is a major industry in Shizuoka prefecture, on Japan’s Pacific coast. Google “Shizuoka” and you’ll find images of hillsides covered in neat rows of bright-green tea bushes, with Mt. Fuji in the background. But that scenery is changing, with some tea farmers calling it quits and others scrambling to innovate for economic survival. And, a herd of artsy elephants is traveling with a message, as part of an exhibit. These are replicas of real-life elephants made by a community of artisans in southern India. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti was supposed to quell ongoing violence, but two months in, that effort isn't going as planned. Local media report that gangs not only remain in power, but continue to expand their grip on the country. In the US, command of the English language is integral to finding work and housing, navigating education and health care, and everyday tasks, like getting groceries and using public transportation. But across Massachusetts, at least 20,000 immigrants are waiting to get into English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. And, an urban explorer from Russia was arrested in Albania for visiting some of the country's defunct military sites. Since she can't leave the country, she's started giving unofficial tours to tourists. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Tens of thousands of court workers across Mexico are on an indefinite strike. It comes in response to a controversial judicial reform law that is advancing through Congress. Also, Cambodia has lost more than a third of its primary forests to private development in the last two decades, but a movement of young activists has challenged the government to improve its environmental record. And, the US has expanded its access to the CBP One app so asylum-seekers can book an appointment as soon as they reach Mexico. Plus, a Canadian TikTok influencer inspires people to try his cucumber recipes, causing a sudden spike in demand for fresh cucumbers in Iceland. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

A labor dispute between two of Canada's largest railroad operators and union has mushroomed into a full lockout of union workers. Also, in Germany’s self-styled beer town of Munich, more people are switching to non-alcoholic beverages. And, a new art exhibit in Denver showcases the work of a Japanese American prisoner incarcerated at a camp in southeastern Colorado during World War II called “Amache.” Plus, scientists report they were able to "hear" low-frequency gravitational waves caused by the motion of massive black holes across the universe. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Moscow’s mayor has called Kyiv’s overnight assault “one of the largest ever” drone attacks on the Russian capital. It comes as Ukraine continues its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Also, a Turkish organization representing the döner industry has applied to the EU to certify döner kebab as a traditional specialty, but German döner makers have vetoed the move, saying it could increase the price. And, Israel wants control over two strategic corridors in Gaza, but Hamas says it will only agree to a deal if all Israeli troops leave the Gaza Strip. Plus, cellist Yo-Yo Ma bridges the Us-China divide. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

US intelligence officials say they’ve confirmed findings made by Google cybersecurity researchers that Iran has tried to hack the Trump and Harris presidential campaigns. Also, Slovakia’s culture minister has fired the directors of the Slovak National Gallery and the country’s most influential theater, which the artistic community says is a crackdown on artistic expression. And, a legal debate on who own the rights to the diaries of Li Rui, once a top Chinese official and a personal secretary to Mao Zedong. Plus, a food blogger in Gaza who makes recipes using the ingredients from food aid packages handed out at refugee camps and anything else he can scrounge up. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Ukrainian troops continue to push deeper inside Russia’s Kursk region. Also, as the West tries to turn away from lithium supplied by China, European leaders are focused on local lithium deposits, but a plan to mine in Serbia is being met with local anger. And, a look at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the biggest performing arts festival in the world. Plus, Switzerland is holding a contest to find the best way to clear out military munitions that have been dumped into its lakes. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Indonesia is set to inaugurate Nusantara as its new capital this weekend. It will replace the current capital, Jakarta, which has a population of about 30 million people and is beginning to slowly sink into the sea. Also, two days of ceasefire negotiations over the war in Gaza wrapped up today with the participants planning to reconvene next week in Cairo, Egypt. And, a new study reveals that islands in the Scottish Hebrides may be the only place on Earth to have a detailed record of how the Earth entered into a deep Ice Age hundreds of millions of years ago. Plus, Iranian-Israeli singer Liraz Charhi releases a new song calling on people across the Middle East to talk to each other more. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Mohammad Shabani's suicide note is analyzed by a handwriting expert and Fariba Nawa gets the results. She follows the ripple effects of the new information, and Mohammad's best friend tries to make sense of what it means.

The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreak on the African continent to be “a public health emergency of international concern.” Following the recording of Sweden’s first case of a new variant of mpox, there is a race to get vaccines into the arms of the most vulnerable Africans. Also, highly anticipated negotiations are underway in Qatar to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. And, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found that Ukraine was responsible for the 2022 sabotage of the Nordstream pipelines in the Baltic Sea that was initially blamed by many on Russia. Plus, a 16th-century-old privately owned Turkish bathhouse goes on sale for $2 million. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The Biden administration is flooding the zone in the Middle East with high-level diplomats ahead of a key meeting on Thursday. Getting a ceasefire for Gaza is the immediate goal. But this is also about bringing down the temperature in a region that's on edge after Israel assassinated two top leaders from Hezbollah and Hamas. Also, the British prime minister has vowed to come down hard on rioters involved in violent far-right protests in the UK last week. Some offenders have already been sentenced to time in prison. But British prisons are already at 99% capacity. And, German authorities issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian national named Volodymyr Z. His last name is protected by Germany privacy law, but he's a suspect in the explosions that destroyed the natural gas pipeline running beneath the Baltic Sea. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.