More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related regional tensions.
After Venezuela's promised release of hundreds of political prisoners failed to materialize, opponents of the current U.S.-backed interim government demand their freedom and call for elections.
Her abduction at age 14 drew international attention. After her rescue, Smart says she struggled with feeling shame around her body. Bodybuilding has helped her see herself differently.
In the male-dominated world of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, a martial arts teacher offers women a way to empowerment.
President Trump's latest demand has tempered expectations for an imminent deal to end the war with Iran. Meanwhile, an Iranian delegation arrived in Doha on Monday for more talks.
President Trump says that a deal with Iran to end the war is largely negotiated. And, Pope Leo XIV weighed in today on the rise of AI during his first encyclical.
New research shines a light on the lost Franklin Expedition, a 19th century voyage to the Canadian Arctic gone awry.
As both the US and Iran signal a peace deal is near, Robert Kagan, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, says the U.S. will likely come out weaker than before the war.
U.S. and Iran are nearing a tentative deal to end the conflict, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and curb Tehran's uranium stockpile β though major details remain unresolved.
China launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with 3 astronauts heading to its space station. One astronaut is set to stay in space for a year to explore human adaptability in long-duration spaceflights.
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Ariane Tabatabaithe, Public Service Fellow at Lawfare, about where things stand on a potential deal between the U.S. and Iran on ending the war.
President Trump took to social media Saturday and said the U.S. and Iran are close to deal on ending the war. But the president didn't offer details and it's not yet clear where Iran stands.
Africa races to contain a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak threatening 10 countries as infections spill from eastern Congo into Uganda.
In Lebanon, an Israeli 'double tap' killed three medics and four others including a two-year-old girl. A neighbor's video shows what happened.
Maximo Torero, Chief Economist at The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, warns that the war in Iran is choking the global supply of fertilizer and a food crisis could follow within a year.
American University professor William LeoGrande explains how the Supreme Court's decision to allow lawsuits seeking compensation for assets seized in the Cuban revolution to move forward fits in context of current political crisis on the island.
President Trump announced the unfinalized deal on social media after talks with Israel and other allies. Iran did not officially confirm the deal, and state media contradicted parts of it.
Mungiu took home the prestigious Palme D'Or for his film Fjord, a culture-war drama set in Norway.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday that killed at least two people.
The U.S. government is responding to the Ebola outbreak in with travel restrictions. American citizens and permanent residents departing affected countries must fly into one of three U.S. airports.
Three months since the start of its conflict with Iran, the Trump administration is oscillating between strike threats and diplomatic overtures. Neither path has yielded a clear resolution.
A gas explosion at a coal mine in China's northern province of Shanxi killed at least 90 people. Official news agency Xinhua said the accident happened on Friday evening. Around 247 workers were on duty at the time.
Chile digs desert trenches along its northern border as President JosΓ© Antonio Kast pushes a hardline migration crackdown critics say may have little effect.
Some NATO allies say they are confused by President Trump's different statements on U.S. troop deployments to Europe.
The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is driving up the cost of food, leading to funding shortfalls and higher expenses for critical food aid in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday ahead of a meeting next week with his counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance.
Foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply in their home country, the Trump administration announced Friday, in a surprise change to a longstanding policy.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants an apology from Israel over the treatment of Italian citizens on a flotilla bound for Gaza.
Analysts say a comparison of the readouts issued by the U.S. and China reveals "minor inconsistencies" on issues such as agriculture, tariffs and rare earths. But, experts argue, those differences are not significant.
The Palestinian delegation to the United Nations has dropped its bid to secure a top U.N. job after the U.S. threatens to revoke their visas.
The indictment of Raul Castro is the latest move by the Trump administration to ratchet up pressure on the Cuban government.
President Donald Trump and America's top diplomat on Thursday again raised the specter of U.S. military intervention in Cuba, a day after the administration announced criminal charges against the island's former leader, RaΓΊl Castro.
President Trump's announcement stirred confusion in Europe following weeks of changing statements from his administration about reducing the American military footprint in Europe.
The United Nations expressed "grave concern" on Thursday about a new law issued by Afghanistan's Taliban government on separation in marriage which includes provisions on child marriage.
Nearly 3,000 people have been killed and nearly 1 million have been displaced the war in southern Lebanon began in March. Nearly 400 have been killed since a ceasefire began in April.
Miami prosecutors have prepared an indictment against former Cuban president RaΓΊl Castro over the 1996 downing of two NGO planes that killed four people onboard.
Ten U.S. mayors from cities such as Chicago and Cincinnati have joined a pact with European mayors to defend democracy and progressive values and fight right-wing populists and authoritarianism.
Healthcare workers in eastern Congo said Wednesday they are underprotected and undertrained in a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak of a rare type of the virus in one of the world's most vulnerable places.
Israel's national security minister triggered a backlash after releasing videos taunting detained flotilla activists who tried to breach the blockade of Gaza, telling them they should be imprisoned.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Africa was announced last week, then quickly declared an emergency by the WHO. It's likely cuts in U.S. aid to the DRC contributed to a delay in identifying the outbreak.
About 400 years ago, beavers were hunted to extinction across Britain. Now they're being reintroduced as little climate warriors, as communities harness their dam-building skills to mitigate flooding.
Republicans are racing to pass a $72 billion immigration enforcement package. And, the U.S. has indicted former Cuban President RaΓΊl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two planes.
A leaked State Department memo shows the U.S. threatened to revoke Palestinian visas if they pushed for a senior United Nations post.
The kecak dance involves a retelling of one of the stories in the Ramayana, the Hindu epic poem. At the story's climax, there is an eruption of fire as tufts of dried coconut husks are set aflame.
The 94-year-old former leader of Cuba faces several charges, including four counts of murder for an attack on a humanitarian group more than 30 years ago.
A new report finds that global humanitarian aid is failing, with cuts from major donors like the United States and increased attacks on health workers further eroding the system.
President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping, in a closely watched visit that comes just days after President Trump's high-profile trip to China.
Its name is short β like its size β but bees are one of Earth's most important and busy creatures.
A Spanish court is investigating former Prime Minister JosΓ© Luis RodrΓguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling and other possible crimes tied to a government airline bailout.
Trump-backed Ed Gallrein ousted Congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky's Republican House primary. And, police have identified the victims in California's mosque shooting.
The novel is the first work translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the award, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday in a meeting meant to reaffirm ties and that takes place only days after a visit by President Donald Trump.
The World Health Organization top official has expressed concern over the rapid spread of a rare type of Ebola in Congo. Authorities have reported at least 134 suspected deaths and over 500 cases.
Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz faces a deepening crisis as widespread protests and blockades leave the political capital under siege less than six months after he took office.
On Monday, the Israeli navy intercepted a flotilla of 54 boats of activists headed to Gaza with humanitarian aid.
The Kremlin has said Putin and Xi plan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, but also "key international and regional issues."
A 90-year-old Palestinian man in Gaza says his life has never felt safe as he recalls displacements and wars
In tennis, clay has a reputation for being one of the harder surfaces to play on. But a few pros shared some of their tips for staying sharp.
San Diego authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at a mosque as a hate crime. And, Trump dropped his lawsuit against the IRS, paving the way for an "anti-weaponization fund."
Israeli authorities are issuing Palestinians demolition orders in East Jerusalem at an accelerated rate since Israel launched war with Iran, human rights groups and U.N. experts say.
President Donald Trump says he is holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday because "serious negotiations" are underway to end the war.
The U.S. long pushed for both Iran and North Korea to quit their nuclear plans. After seeing Iran's leader get killed, North Korea's Kim Jong Un believes he made the right choice to stay the course.
Events over the weekend highlight the risk of renewed war, as the United States and Israel signal they would be ready to fight Iran again.
Trump shifts from diplomacy to force on Iran's nuclear ambitions, echoing past U.S. dilemmas with North Korea, where similar choices by presidents produced very different outcomes.
As peace talks stall, Ukraine launches one of the biggest drone strikes against Russia since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in an attempt to weaken Russia's war machine.
The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar. Spanish tax authorities did not prove that the singer was a resident of Spain, the court said in its decision.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump, lost the Republican primary in Louisiana. And, the WHO has declared a global health emergency over a new Ebola outbreak.
Thousands of Chinese-born Uyghur fighters fled China to fight in the Syrian civil war. They say generations of political persecution in China motivated them to take up arms.
The number of people killed in state-sanctioned executions worldwide rose to a 44-year high in 2025, according to a new report from Amnesty International.
A drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the United Arab Emirates' sole nuclear power plant on Sunday in what authorities called an "unprovoked terrorist attack."
Authorities confirmed on Sunday the official results of the first round of the presidential elections in early April, with Keiko Fujimori and Roberto SΓ‘nchez advancing to the runoff on June 7.
One of Ukraine's largest drone strikes on Russia killed at least four people, including three near Moscow, and wounded a dozen others, local authorities said Sunday.
Thousands of Uyghurs became key fighters against Syria's Assad regime. For the first time, they agreed to be interviewed. NPR spent weeks with some of them to understand why they fled China for Syria.
Indonesia has more than 120 active volcanoes. On the island of Java, thousands live alongside Mount Merapi, constantly balancing risks -- and most say they won't leave.
An Iranian man who was buried under rubble in US Israel bombing campaign says he wants the war to go on, and destroy the regime.
Bulgaria was not among the favorites to win. But performer Dara's catchy, banging anthem bested 24 other nations at the 70th edition of the international singing extravaganza.
A humpback whale found dead this week off a Danish island has been identified as the animal released two weeks ago in a spectacular and controversial rescue effort after repeatedly becoming stranded off Germany's Baltic Sea coast, Danish authorities said Saturday.
Trump announced the joint operation in Africa's most populous country in a late-night social media post. He said Abu Bakr al-Mainuki was second in command of the Islamic State group globally.
President Trump's troop withdrawal threat rattles residents of a small Bavarian town reliant on U.S. military personnel and their families for both income and friendships built over decades.
With the peace process stalled, there are signs of growing public fatigue in Russia with the Kremlin's war as Ukraine uses robotic warfare to stay in the fight.
FIFA's official 2026 World Cup song is "Dai Dai" from Shakira and Burna Boy. There are a number of factors that shape which songs define a tournament β and endure beyond it.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes a surprise visit to Cuba as the spy agency calls on the nation to make "fundamental changes." Cuba says it has run out of fuel and is suffering massive blackouts.
Iran's government has been confiscating property from people it deems traitors or critics of the regime.
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Friday targeted the leader of Hamas' military wing, Israeli officials said, but it wasn't immediately clear if Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed or injured.
The final of the Eurovision Contest arrives Saturday, with tight security and rainy weather failing to dent the enthusiasm of fans, or the opposition of critics who think Israel shouldn't be invited.
President Trump returns to the U.S. after wrapping up his whirlwind trip to China.