The World

After meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russian leader Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow would “partially pull back troops” from the Ukrainian border. But NATO leaders are not convinced that Putin has decided to step back from the brink. And, following years of drought and war, Afghans now face severe food shortages in parts of Afghanistan, leaving many hungry. Also, Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennet was in Bahrain on Tuesday in the first visit of its kind by an Israeli prime minister.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that it’s pulling some troops back, away from Russia’s borders with Ukraine. Residents living in Kharkiv, near the Russian border, are keenly aware of what’s at stake. And the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, has only been out of office for three weeks. He’s now facing extradition to the US. Plus, musician Luke Sital-Singh had a religious upbringing, with Indian and Jamaican roots. Now an atheist, he's been thinking about faith with his new single, "Me & God.”

The so-called Freedom Convoy blockades in Ottawa and other cities began as a protest against vaccine mandates for truckers. Their actions have energized a small but growing far-right movement in Canada. And similar protests have popped up in Europe, where people are trying to convene in a convoy in Brussels to protest against pandemic restrictions such as vaccine mandates and passports. Plus, even the casual figure skating fan might notice how often Ravel's “Bolero” is used as a soundtrack at the Olympics. Why do figure skaters love it so much?

Ontario has declared a state of emergency as bottlenecks on the US-Canada border worsen due to protesters in trucks in front of Parliament in Ottawa. Also, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva made history by being the first woman to land a quadruple jump in the Olympics. Now, the 15-year-old is making headlines after her drug test came back positive. Plus, a 60-year-old museum security guard in Russia drew eyes on painter Anna Leporskaya's "Three Figures," using a ballpoint pen, on his first day on the job.

The US dealt a major blow to ISIS in Syria last week by assassinating its top leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. But that doesn’t spell the end of the terror group that once controlled large swaths of territory across Syria and Iraq. And in Ukraine, many citizens say that in the event of an all-out Russian invasion, they’re prepared. Some have decided to join the Kyiv Territorial Defense Forces, where they learn to bear arms to defend their country. Plus, India's first feature documentary to be nominated for an Academy Award tells the story of the only news agency in India run by Dalit women.

A court in India will decide whether young women attending schools and colleges in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka can wear their hijab to class. Six young women who were barred from college for wearing the Muslim head scarf filed suit, sparking protests and mobs across Karnataka. And refueling after grueling competition is crucial for Olympians. With so many COVID-19 restrictions in Beijing preventing athletes from eating at restaurants, Olympic dining halls are more important than ever. Plus, Danish pop superstar MØ is out with her third album. After collaborations with Justin Bieber and Major Lazer, MØ decided to rewire and work with Scandinavian women.

Scientists in South Africa have figured out a way to make their own version of Moderna’s vaccine against COVID-19. It’s seen as a huge step toward expanded access to lifesaving vaccines across Africa. Also, in Spain’s northeast region of Catalonia, Catalan has been the main language of instruction since 1983. That could all change after Spain’s highest court ruled that at least a quarter of all classes use Spanish, reigniting a decadeslong debate about language in schools. Plus, 18-year-old Chinese American athlete Eileen Gu performed a difficult maneuver in the free ski competition that won her the gold medal in Beijing. We hear about her breathtaking jump and the buzz that followed.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are in Washington and Moscow respectively for diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine standoff. And since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014, Ukraine has bolstered its cyberdefense capabilities but has still suffered from severe cyberattacks by the Kremlin. Plus, tributes pour in for singer Lata Mangeshkar, known as the Nightingale of India, who died on Sunday at the age of 92, after a 70-year singing career.

On Friday in Beijing, Olympians took part in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics. And the Polish government's current approach to Holocaust history emphasizes "telling all sides" and highlighting the bravery and suffering of non-Jewish Poles. This historical revisionsim has had a chilling effect on Polish Holocaust scholarship. Also, humans used to dine on 6,000 plant species, so why has our modern diet been whittled down to just nine? The author of “Eating to Extinction” explains why we need to pay more attention to diversifying the world’s food supply.

US President Joe Biden has announced today that US commandos have killed ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in a risky pre-dawn attack in Syria. Experts say, however, that his death is not likely to affect the plans of ideologically driven ISIS. And, many Polish historians worry that the current government is trying to cover up the country's role in the Holocaust. New museum exhibits are focusing on the heroism of non-Jewish Poles, instead of the atrocities in which Polish people were complicit. Plus, we hear about unlocking the mystery behind 200 artifacts found in tombs in Peru, consisting of human vertebrae threaded on sticks. The objects are likely an Indigenous response to Spanish colonial-era looting of burial grounds.