Voters in Ecuador will head to the polls for general elections this weekend. The next president will face the enormous task of dismantling well-funded and powerful organized crime groups in the country as well as restoring trust in government and fix an economy in crisis. Also, the Trump administration is using military planes to deport migrants to Latin America, and regional leaders are expressing concerns about how they're being treated. And, a close relative of one of the recently-released Is...
Feb 07, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Advancing the human rights of LGBTQ people around the world was part of the Biden administration's policy agenda. The point person for that effort was Jessica Stern, a US special envoy. She left the job with the changing of the guard at the White House, and President Donald Trump is not expected to fill the position. On Thursday, in her first interview since stepping down, Stern reflects on her time advancing LGBTQ rights on the global stage. Also, it's been the warmest winter that anyone can re...
Feb 06, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Negotiations for the phase two of the ceasefire deal for Gaza are underway. The vision for this phase has been for Hamas and Israel to work out details surrounding the release of the remaining hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. But controversy surrounding comments from US President Donald Trump during Tuesday's visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only increases the difficulty of this diplomatic challenge. Also, what justice for past crimes might look like ...
Feb 05, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Panama has become the first Latin American nation to pull out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It’s also weighing whether to cancel its contract with the Hong Kong-based company that operates near the Panama Canal. An adviser to the US Institute for Peace says that it's all part of the long rivalry between the US and China in Latin America. Also, Syria's new interim president is traveling to Turkey to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There's a lot at stake for both countries. Turkey...
Feb 04, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Claudia Sheinbaum was able to postpone tariffs from the US for a month. In the meantime, Canada's Justin Trudeau has promised to impose tariffs of his own, urging Canadians to buy local. We look at how leaders from the US' closest neighbors are handling the new administration's trade moves. Also, a showdown in Toronto over bike lanes. The city built new infrastructure for cyclists during the pandemic. But the Ontario government wants to force Toronto to remove them. And, we have Groundhog Day he...
Feb 03, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa was declared the country’s transitional president on Wednesday. The former rebel leader addressed Syrians directly yesterday and called for justice and elections following a transitional period. Also, 10 days into President Donald Trump’s administration, the US southern border remains closed to asylum-seekers, and many are now considering ditching the American Dream to settle in Mexico instead. And, seven candidates are vying for a chance to be the next pr...
Jan 31, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Argentina’s president reverses a law that established femicide as a crime. Also, a new report shows that the majority of young people in the UK would prefer to live in a dictatorship, and many of them also want the army to be in charge. And, the Israeli government has banned the UN's Palestinian aid agency, UNRWA, from operating in Israel land in East Jerusalem. Plus, Spanish guitarist Antonio Rey’s latest flamenco album is up for a Grammy Award in the Best Global Music Album category. Listen to...
Jan 30, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast A deadly stampede interrupts celebrations at a Hindu festival in northern India, leaving dozens of people dead. Kumbh Mela is the world’s largest religious gathering, where upwards of 400 million pilgrims gather at the confluence of two rivers for sacred rituals. Also, US-funded assistance programs across the globe are reeling after the Trump administration freezes most foreign aid. And, scientists discover a wealth of deep sea animal life surrounding a volcano beneath an ocean in the Arctic. Pl...
Jan 29, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mexico has started constructing giant tent shelters in border towns where people deported by the US can get food, temporary housing, medical care and free bus rides back to their hometowns. The program is called "Mexico embraces you" — and although it's intended for Mexican deportees, the country's President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government will consider sheltering migrants from other nations, too. Also, Serbia's prime minister says he'll step down following weeks of protests against govern...
Jan 28, 2025•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Royalty, heads of state and dignitaries from more than 50 countries gathered in southern Poland today to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Also, a solid gold helmet on loan from Romania was stolen in a dramatic museum heist in the Netherlands. And, the US has frozen nearly all foreign aid while the Trump administration reviews where the aid should go. Plus, Rema's is hoping to take home his first Grammy after his second studio album "Heis" topped the charts in his home co...
Jan 27, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect, people in Gaza have begun returning to the neighborhoods they'd fled — only to find total devastation. Also, how Canada is preparing for US tariffs, from the highest levels of government to the individual Canadian household. And, the latest on an oil spill in Russia, that's been called the worst environmental catastrophe of the 21st century. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx....
Jan 24, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Syria's economy under the previous government was tightly managed by former President Bashar al-Assad, his family and close associates. But now, Syria's new government is looking to introduce economic reform to further liberalize Syria's economy, which remains heavily sanctioned by the US and Europe. Also, in most cities, transit systems are government-run. But in Japan, that’s not the case. The network of trains, subways and buses considered among the best on earth is run by private companies. ...
Jan 23, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast On the campaign trail, US President Donald Trump promised to end wars, worldwide, starting in Ukraine. As his administration's Cabinet takes shape, we'll look at his appointees' records to get a deeper understanding of the Trump administration's approach to that conflict. Also, three new laws passed by Iraq’s parliament could effectively legalize child marriage, according to critics. And, what the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change will mean for the globe going forward. Lis...
Jan 22, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Israel's military is conducting raids in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. Israel is seeking to flush out armed Palestinian factions in the area. This comes as some 90 Palestinians prisoners were released from Israeli prisons following a ceasefire deal in Gaza with Hamas. Also, Denmark has announced plans to rethink a parenting competency test that has earned heavy criticism for using Danish cultural norms to measure fitness in Greenland's Inuit communities. Human rights groups have long exp...
Jan 21, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Donald Trump laid out foreign policy promises, goals and predictions during his swearing-in ceremony as he assumes another term in office. Also, the UN says 630 aid trucks have entered Gaza since the start of the ceasefire deal over the weekend between Israel and Hamas. And, the Ankole cattle of western Uganda are now considered an endangered breed as farmers switch to other imports such as Holsteins. Plus, remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s universal message against oppression. ...
Jan 20, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Israel's security Cabinet has okayed a ceasefire deal with Hamas. But some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet have threatened to resign and the future of his government remains in the balance. Also, authorities around the world are trying to crack down on AI-generated images of child sexual abuse. And, the most-beloved sport in Canada — hockey — is getting an update. This year, the sport will be broadcast in Indigenous languages Cree and Inuktitut. Listen to today’s Music Hea...
Jan 17, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Palestinians and Israelis react to a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Also, Indonesia rolls out a massive new free meal program for school children to help reduce stunting and poverty in the country, improve educational outcomes and increase farmer incomes. And, efforts are underway to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in the global maritime shipping industry. Plus, American TikTok users are switching to RedNote in an act of protest. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn abo...
Jan 16, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast After months of back and forth, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal. Also, Yoon Suk Yeol becomes South Korea's first sitting president to be placed under arrest. And, the outcome of the standoff between miners and police in South Africa. Plus, the voice behind Japan’s bullet train announcements. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Jan 15, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast A trial is underway this week in South Korea's Constitutional Court that could remove the country's president from office. Also, Mexico sends a team of firefighters to California to help battle the wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles. And, the trip in fishing boats from Morocco's western Atlantic coast to Spain's Canary Islands is just the final leg of a long, harrowing trip that can last for years. Plus, Village Hydroponics in Vermont grows and shares food, for free, with people...
Jan 14, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ukraine’s military says it captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia over the weekend. Around 10,000 North Koreans are believed to be fighting on behalf of Russia. Also, rolling blackouts are wreaking havoc on daily life in Iran. And, Sudan's armed forces have captured the city of Wad Madani, marking a significant blow to the Rapid Support Forces. Plus, members of Afghanistan’s first-ever all-female flight and the story of how their lives were turned upside down. Listen to...
Jan 13, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast The world is on the threshold of failing to reach an important climate goal to stop the global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. It was the most ambitious climate goal in the Paris Agreement, but it's unclear if failure is official, or just imminent. Also, with the devastating fires in Los Angeles still raging, we hear about an interesting fire warning system that was developed by a German company. Also, in Venezuela, the popular leader of the political opposition, Marina Co...
Jan 10, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast A state funeral for Jimmy Carter is being held on Thursday in Washington. When the 39th US president was sworn into office in 1977, he pledged to elevate human rights in American foreign policy. We look into that legacy. Also, the last time Japan’s army came to the Philippines in big numbers was during World War II, amid an invasion that left the country in ruins. That was 80 years ago. Now, the Philippines wants Japanese forces back on its bases. And, Russia’s war in Ukraine has included an ass...
Jan 09, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast European leaders are alarmed about what they see as foreign election meddling. It's coming from Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on Earth and a close adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump. Musk has been using his global social media megaphone to promote far-right politicians in Europe, like the Alternative for Germany (AFD) party, which has been named an extremist group by Germany's own intelligence agencies.Also, Nicolás Maduro will be inaugurated as president in Venezuela later this week. De...
Jan 08, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Chinese-controlled Tibet, rescue workers are still digging through rubble after a powerful earthquake near Mount Everest. The rescue operation is complicated by altitudes averaging around 13,000 feet in the area. Also, an archaeologist and former professor at Damascus University returns to the Syrian capital for the first time since fleeing in 2006. We hear personal reflections about what the homecoming has been like, as well as analysis of where things stand in Damascus right now. Also, an e...
Jan 07, 2025•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a public announcement — sharing his plan to resign following a massive decline in support and a high profile resignation from his Cabinet. Also, the Biden administration is making its final push for a ceasefire in Gaza before Donald Trump reassumes the White House two weeks from now. And, many Ukrainians are turning to poetry as a symbol of patriotism and resistance during wartime. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Learn about your ad choices: dov...
Jan 06, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tourism in Cuba has not recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic began; and new conditions on the island are deterring tourists from visiting to soak up its culture, beauty and political history. Also, South Korean authorities were unable to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol following an hours-long stand-off with his security services. And, a hidden crisis unfolds in Japan where over a million people have retreated from society for months or even years, in a phenomenon known as hikikomori . ...
Jan 03, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kyiv opts to not renew a contract with Moscow that brought Russian natural gas to Europe and $1 billion dollars in transit fees to Ukraine. Also, Japan grapples with “lonely deaths” of some 68,000 elderly people who die alone at home every year. And, although global cases of tuberculosis have decreased in recent years, Latin America has seen a 19% increase in its number of cases, with one report pointing to rising incarceration rates as a major factor. Plus, Costa Rica has its own version of bul...
Jan 02, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast The World welcomes 2025 with this music holiday special. We look at a middle-school teacher in France who uses rap to teach math. Also, Italian pasta company Barilla released a soundtrack it says was scientifically designed to enhance the taste and texture of its pasta. And, music from Innoss'B tries to combat malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Plus, Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz’s season-long residency at New York's Carnegie Hall that has offered many exciting new pieces. Liste...
Jan 01, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this New Year’s Eve special, The World looks at discoveries from around the globe. With Mount Everest adding an extra 160 feet in the past 89,000 years, according to a recent study, we discuss how and why mountain ranges grow. Also, 2024 was the 200th year since the first dinosaur was named. And, finding lost cities in the mountains of Uzbekistan. Plus, using AI to create images of memories. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Give today to help sustain our journalism in 2025 and have your...
Dec 31, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast A look at former President Jimmy Carter’s life and legacy, including his lasting foreign policy. Also, a conversation about effective global giving strategies, especially around the holiday season. And, a look back and climate and weather patterns in 2024. Plus, a yearly German tradition to watch a decades-old British comedy sketch on New Year’s Eve. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air . Give today to help sustain our journalism in 2025 and have your donation matched by a generous donor! Learn ...
Dec 30, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
