The United Arab Emirates is set to become home to the largest artificial intelligence campus outside of the US. The deal was struck in a meeting Thursday between the US and the UAE. The 10-square-mile campus will be built in Abu Dhabi, requiring 5 gigawatts of power capacity. We look into the energy implications of the plan. Also, in Australia, a murder trial where the defendant is accused of serving poisonous mushrooms to dinner guests becomes a nationwide spectacle. And, the story of a Spanish...
May 16, 2025•49 min
Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting on Thursday in Istanbul to discuss a potential end to the war for the first time in more than three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed up for the meeting in-person; Russian President Vladimir Putin did not. We have the latest updates and analysis from those talks. Also, the mental health crisis caused by climate change, and the emerging ways people are addressing it. And, new insights into the love life of William Shakespeare. Listen...
May 15, 2025•48 min
President Trump's announcement that US sanctions on Syria would be lifted was met with elation by Syrians, but the country still has a long way to go to recover from years of civil war and brutal dictatorship. Also, the German government banned an extremist group known as the Kingdom of Germany, which believes Germany is a monarchy. And, a look back at the life of José Mujica, Uruguay's former president who lived staunchly below his means. Plus, the Swiss Moroccan musician who found his home in ...
May 14, 2025•48 min
As President Donald Trump heads to the Middle East, a look at how the countries he plans to visit are trying to position themselves. Also, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has announced it will disarm and disband. That marks the potential end of the group's four decadelong insurgency against the Turkish military. And, the former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has won a mayoral election despite his detention by the International Criminal Court. Listen to today’s Music Heard o...
May 13, 2025•48 min
Hamas has released the last living American hostage that was held captive in Gaza. That comes days before President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the region. Hamas has not said what it expects to receive in return for the release. Also, Pope Leo XIV's roots in Chiclayu, Peru. And, a close look at Barcelona's "superblocks": pedestrian areas designed to keep cars out. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
May 12, 2025•48 min
Pope Leo XIV gave his first mass as pontiff today and is being celebrated across the globe, including in Peru, where he carried out decades of missionary work and became a naturalized citizen. Also, the US cuts $50 million in medical aid to Zambia following a corruption investigation. And, Sudan cuts ties with the UAE as drone attacks on Port Sudan continue for a sixth day. Plus, the National Gallery in London is unveiling an early renaissance painting this weekend that’s considered to be a Euro...
May 09, 2025•50 min
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope. The 69-year-old is from Chicago, Illinois, and will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Also, after dozens of community kitchens providing desperately needed food to Palestinians in Gaza were shuttered this week, the US is asking aid groups to back a new Israeli aid plan run by US security contractors. And, a nonprofit group in rural Ghana is using cheap motorized tricycles to help pregnant women get to the hospital to g...
May 08, 2025•48 min
Indian jets launch airstrikes on nine sites inside Pakistan in retaliation for a militant group's attack on mostly Indian tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir two weeks ago. Also, ongoing hunting and the growing effects of climate change are contributing to the dropping numbers of manatees in the Amazon region but local efforts are underway to bring them back. And, Syria's Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is in France for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron. Plus, the Men's Wor...
May 07, 2025•49 min
More than a hundred Catholic cardinals from 70 different countries will convene for a secretive conclave on Wednesday to select a new pope. It's not clear who will ultimately be chosen to lead the Catholic Church next. Also, drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been pummeling Port Sudan for three straight days. And, Germany’s parliament confirms Friedrich Merz as the country’s next chancellor, but only after failing to secure enough support in a first-round vote earlier in...
May 06, 2025•48 min
Israel’s security cabinet has approved a new military offensive designed to “capture” Gaza and hold it indefinitely. The plan would relocate many of Gaza’s 2 million residents to the south and shutter hundreds of community kitchens. Also, North Korea confirms that it sent troops to fight in Ukraine, but with tens of thousands of Russians killed in the fighting, a new report finds that Moscow is turning to Pyongyang now to reinforce its workforce. And, the International Cricket Council says it wi...
May 05, 2025•49 min
Clashes have broken out this week in Syria between government security forces and militias inside Syria's Druze community. Israel launched airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday, claiming they targeted operatives who attacked Druze civilians. Israel has threatened more strikes if the clashes continue. We hear from people on the ground, in Syria, who have been affected by the violence. Also, Romania's upcoming presidential election this weekend, a do-over of last year's election which was annulled over...
May 02, 2025•48 min
The work to choose a new pope begins next week with the secretive Papal Conclave. One of Pope Francis' lingering legacies that will need to be addressed: the late pontiff's efforts to reform the Vatican's less-than-transparent finances. Also, Maria Ressa is the Nobel Prize-winning journalist behind the investigative news site, Rappler, based in the Philippines. Her work made her a political enemy of former dictator, Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa joins us to share her experiences standing up for press f...
May 01, 2025•49 min
Fifty years ago on Wednesday the fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War. Most Americans think of that war as one of the longest and most unpopular conflicts in US military history. But in Vietnam, it is being celebrated as the end of a much longer struggle for liberation, which predates US involvement by several decades. We examine both of those legacies. Also, what it would mean for Ukraine to sign a mineral deal with the US. And, a cultural debate over the legacy of a German theologi...
Apr 30, 2025•49 min
In Canada, election results mark a reversal of political fortunes. The Liberal Party's victory in Monday's federal election follows a long slump in popularity. But the Trump administration's trade policies and rhetoric concerning Canada have driven a shift in the country's political landscape. The election results are widely being seen as a mandate for how Canada should respond to Trump. Also, insight into the work of Russian lawyers who represent political prisoners in court. And, why Boston's ...
Apr 29, 2025•49 min
A major power outage struck Spain and Portugal on Monday, shutting down transit and causing major gridlock in both countries. The two governments met to discuss the outage, the cause of which was not immediately known. This is the biggest power outage on the European continent since 2003. Also, a massive explosion in an Iranian port killed at least 40 people over the weekend and injured hundreds of others. And, the corruption behind the deadly nightclub fire in North Macedonia almost a month ago...
Apr 28, 2025•48 min
India has suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a major water-sharing agreement with Pakistan, following a recent attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Also, more than 1,800 international students have seen their immigration statuses changed by the US government, prompting some to wonder if they should stay in the US or leave. And, US Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) discusses his recent trip to Syria. Plus, a look at the Poetry Pharmacy on London’s famed Oxford Street — a small sp...
Apr 25, 2025•50 min
Qatar has brokered talks between the government of Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group, which is backed by Rwanda, to agree to common terms for a dialogue that includes a ceasefire. Also, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum bans foreign political ads on Mexican TV after a wave of anti-immigration spots sponsored by the Trump administration airs nationwide. And, as Spain's Catalonia region celebrates Sant Jordi, or Saint George's Day, there’s been controversy this year over one w...
Apr 24, 2025•48 min
Canadians will head to the polls on Monday to vote for a new prime minister. The country is expecting a large turnout, with more than 7 million people already having cast their ballots over the long Easter weekend. Also, a look at Pope Francis as both a head of state and a spiritual leader. And, Jordan places a ban on the Muslim Brotherhood. Plus, a gated community in Argentina is divided over a sudden spike in capybaras. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: doveta...
Apr 23, 2025•49 min
As questions emerge over the succession of Pope Francis, some are looking to Africa, where the Catholic Church has seen the most growth of any region in recent years. Also, a group of gunmen open fire at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 20 tourists and injuring dozens more. And, the Supreme Court in Brazil is examining the role that allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro might have played in an alleged coup attempt that took place after he lost the 2022 election. Plus, ...
Apr 22, 2025•48 min
Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Also, the Israeli military says an “operational misunderstanding” led to the killing of 15 unarmed Palestinian medics last month. And, a Tunisian court hands down harsh prison sentences to political opponents of the country's president as the country backslides on democracy. Plus, runners from around the world take part in the Boston Marathon. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Apr 21, 2025•49 min
Chinese President Xi Jinping is wrapping up a tour this week of Southeast Asia where he has been selling the idea of China as a force for economic stability and prosperity. He has also criticized President Donald Trump's trade policies as destructive to the global economy. We'll look at how that message is being received. Also, Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in the the electric vehicle industry in preparation for a post-oil future. And, the legacy of Indigenous runner Tom Longboat...
Apr 18, 2025•47 min
As Haiti celebrates 200 years of independence from France, Thursday marks a particularly fraught anniversary. On April 17, 1825, Haiti and France signed the Indemnity Agreement, requiring Haiti to pay France to compensate slave-owning colonists for Haitians' freedom. Now, Haitian activists want their money back. Also, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is headed to Paris to discuss the war in Ukraine. And, Canada's new professional women's soccer league just kicked off its first season. Listen to...
Apr 17, 2025•48 min
A federal court in Denver has found a former member of Gambia’s military guilty of torturing five people accused of involvement in a failed coup against the West African country in 2006. This constitutes a rare prosecution in the United States for torture committed abroad. Also, the UK's Supreme Court passed a ruling on the meaning of the word "woman" as used in the country's Equality Act from 2010. In a unanimous decision, the court said that "woman" refers to people assigned the female gender ...
Apr 16, 2025•49 min
Tuesday marks two years since civil war broke out in Sudan. Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has created an immense humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced, and hundreds of thousands facing famine. A look at how things reached this point in Sudan, and where the country is headed. Also, Mexican border cities like Tijuana are emptying out as migrants give up trying to enter the US. And, the Ghanaian government is reforming the country's gold export...
Apr 15, 2025•49 min
This past weekend, Iran and the US held their first round of talks about Iran's nuclear program. Both sides described the talks as "positive" and "constructive." The two delegations will convene in Rome for a second round of talks later this week. Also, Tijuana's uphill battle to keep its waterways and beaches free of sewage and pollution. And, the existential threat faced by two of France's most beloved cheeses. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Apr 14, 2025•47 min
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez becomes the de facto trade representative for much of Europe, on a visit to China. And white storks arrive in Europe every spring, and they're starting to arrive earlier. Experts say that's because of climate change. Plus, why historic homes in Iran are being turned into boutique hotels, restaurants and cafes. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Apr 11, 2025•48 min
The US and Russia carried out a prisoner swap earlier today, resulting in the release of US citizen Ksenia Karelina. Also, hippos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are dying of a surprising cause: anthrax. And, a look into the struggle to get aid into earthquake-devastated Myanmar. Plus, a Japanese town is using trading cards inspired by Pokémon to build connection between generations. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Apr 10, 2025•49 min
President Donald Trump has paused his sweeping new tariffs, with one exception: those levied on China. Beijing is retaliating by hitting US goods back. How Chinese leadership sees the escalating trade war. Also, how new banana products could help transform agriculture in Uganda. And what exactly makes Jamaican rum Jamaican? Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Apr 09, 2025•48 min
The Palestinian Red Crescent is demanding an international investigation into the Israeli attack last month on a convoy of ambulances and emergency workers in southern Gaza that killed 15 people. Also, Sussex University in the UK is offering a new degree called Climate Justice, Sustainability and Development. And, the US and DRC close in on a new minerals deal. Plus, a look at how collaboration in space is still possible amid geopolitical tensions. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn ab...
Apr 08, 2025•49 min
Heavy US tariffs against much of the world will kick in on Tuesday at midnight. Few will be hit has hard as Cambodia — where nearly a third of the country’s economy is generated by selling goods to Americans — as Cambodian exports to the US are set to face a 49% tariff. Also, Doctors Without Borders reports that 1/5 of all primary care visits in Gaza deal with illness caused by a lack of access to clean water as the enclave faces acute water shortages amid an Israeli blockade. And, the Ivory Coa...
Apr 07, 2025•49 min
