The World

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans Wednesday morning to call up to 300,000 reservists to join the fight in Ukraine and threatened to deploy nuclear weapons if Russian territory is threatened. And President Joe Biden was in New York on Wednesday to address the United Nations General Assembly. Biden used the opportunity to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and reiterate the US commitment to Ukraine's defense. Also, about a half a million foreign students — mostly from Africa and parts of Asia — were shut out of their universities in China due to COVID-19. Chinese authorities are not making it easy to return anytime soon. Plus, the quadrillions of ants on planet Earth matter immensely to life.

Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York this week for the UN General Assembly. It's the first time leaders gather together since the start of the pandemic in 2020. And in Puerto Rico, residents are facing the collapse of the electrical grid and a lack of clean water in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. Also, on Tuesday night in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin is to speak to the nation about Ukraine. The last time he did this was on the eve of the Russian invasion in February. Plus, the lead singer of Ukrainian band Antytila is on the front lines.

Britain said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II in a televised ceremony witnessed by billions. In attendance was US President Joe Biden among hundreds of heads of state. Early Monday morning, the last members of the waiting mourners were admitted to walk past the queen's coffin, marking the end of her relationship with the British public. And Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico Sunday night, leaving the island without power and wiping out roads and bridges. Residents worry that it feels like 2017 again, when Hurricane Maria pummeled the island. Also, protests in Iran have grown since last Friday when the news of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini became public. Amini was arrested three days earlier by the so-called morality police for not following the appropriate dress codes. Plus, Biden declared the COVID-19 pandemic over, but infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci says not so much.

Earlier this week, mass graves were discovered in the newly liberated town of Izium, in northeast Ukraine. Over 400 bodies have been found since Russian troops retreated. And an estimated 1.5 million carnations from Turkey’s southern Isparta region will be sent to the United Kingdom during the mourning period for the late queen — double the usual number. Also, the weeklong EuroPride event includes a final Pride March to be held in Serbia this weekend. But the Serbian government and police force have worked to ban it over the past couple of weeks. Plus, catastrophic flooding in Pakistan has left at least 1,500 people dead and a half a million homeless. Volunteer groups there have been stepping up to aid survivors.

Two planes landed at the airport on Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts on Wednesday. The passengers, from Venezuela and Colombia, learned that they had been drawn into a political fight over immigration enforcement along the southern border. And this week, the US announced it was transferring $3.5 billion of Afghanistan's Central Bank money to a Swiss trust. The money would be used “for the benefit of the people of Afghanistan.” Also, the first climate lawsuit in Russia is now filed in their Supreme Court. It was put forward by activists who say the government needs to take stronger action to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, Roger Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion from Switzerland, is stepping away from professional tennis.

The United Nations is saying it needs $1 billion to avert a catastrophic famine in Somalia. The country is experiencing its worst drought in more than 40 years. But one thing is making the humanitarian response extremely difficult: terrorism. And China’s state-owned Cosco Shipping is investing $3 billion to build a  port 50 miles north of Lima, Peru. It will be serve as a preferential point for the exit of the raw materials that the region exports to China. Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jingping are set to meet on Thrusday on the sidelines of an Asian nations conference. Plus, Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila calls it quits after 14 years.

Somalia is experiencing its worst drought in more than 40 years. It's driven a million people from their homes in search of food and water. Now, the United Nations is warning that famine is "at the door." And in Ukraine, the village of Moshchun was hit with artillery and airstrikes and then occupied briefly by Russian soldiers. Many civilians were killed and homes destroyed. Now, residents are returning to clear debris, dig out their homes and rebuild their lives. Also, last month, Iran introduced a new decree enforcing that women wear hijabs in all public spaces and on social media postings. This will be tracked by the government’s facial recognition software previously used during the pandemic to track if people were wearing face masks. Plus, fans remember the cinematic legacy of Jean-Luc Godard.

Ukraine fully regained its territory in the Kharkiv region of the country over the weekend. The victory comes following an offensive to regain control over Ukrainian territory in the north and south of the country. And Sweden’s neck-and-neck election results have put the country's Social Democratic Party's decadelong control of the government in jeopardy. A far-right, anti-immigration party with neo-Nazi roots is set to be the second-largest in the Scandinavian country known for its progressive politics and welfare state. Also, with US schools suffering from a critical shortage of bilingual teachers, Connecticut had a novel idea — recruit young people from Puerto Rico who are still in college. The program offers many benefits but it also contributes to the island's brain drain. Plus, international music collaborators Superorganism embrace the new abnormal.

As bells tolled and gunshots rang across the United Kingdom to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, the monarch's legacy was remembered across former colonies with a mixture of nostalgia, bitterness and indifference. We hear from reporters in Canada, India, Kenya and Ghana about the queen’s influence there. And a relatively new spyware known as Predator is at the center of a European wiretapping scandal that has led to several resignations of political leaders in Greece. The EU is scrambling to figure out how to regulate an industry that poses a growing threat to democracy. Also, European energy prices are sky high, and winter is coming. This week, EU leaders gathered to discuss emergency measures to keep energy costs down, including possible price caps and new taxes — but lawmakers are divided.

The long-reigning British monarch Queen Elizabeth II has died at age 96. Throughout the day, members of the British royal family arrived at the queen's estate in Scotland to pay their last respects amid news that her health had declined. We hear about her legacy and impact on the world. And will members of Colombia’s Congress agree to pay cuts? A young senator recently elected on messages of anti-corruption and excessive government spending is encouraging all senators to agree to lower their own salaries. Also, Yale University researchers have used publicly available satellite imagery and open-source information to document 21 sites in Russian-occupied Ukraine that are being used as a "filtration system" to detain Ukrainian prisoners. Plus, Sierra Leone and West Africa are celebrating the success of US tennis player Frances Tiafoe at the US Open.